VDIS10022 Advanced Graphic Design Studio - Lecture 3 - Selling Ideas

VDIS10022 ADVANCED GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIO Lecturer: Rachel Hawkins
VIRTU DESIGN INSTITUTE
LECTURE 3:

VIRTU DESIGN INSTITUTE: ADVANCED GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIO - VDIS10022 2
THIS LECTURE DISCUSSES WAYS IN WHICH YOU,
THE GRAPHIC DESIGNER CAN SELL YOUR IDEAS AND CONCEPTS TO
CLIENTS THROUGH SUCCESSFUL PITCHING AND MOOD BOARDS.
COMMUNICATING A CONCEPT CLEARLY AND EFFICIENTLY TO A
CLIENT CAN SAVE HOURS OF DESIGN TIME AND LENGTHY CHANGES.
AS A DESIGNER YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR CLIENT
BELIEVE IN THE IDEA AND LOVE THE CONCEPT.

There are several formal definitions for the word
‘PITCH’ from Sports, Music, Camping and Architectural
references. So what does it mean in a design sense?
Informally, to ‘PITCH’ is to attempt to promote or sell,
often in a high-pressure manner.
For a Graphic Designer, pitching is the selling or
presentation of design ideas and concepts to a client.
It may be the presentation of an initial round of
designs in response to a carefully considered brief
or it may be that you are trying to win the job by
presenting the best idea.

THE
ART OF
SELLING
VISUAL
IDEAS
March, 2002
by Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis
http://www.hypergene.net/ideas/sellvis.html
One of the most frustrating aspects
of being a designer is having a
good design — one that you know
is really good — and you can’t get
the client to buy into it. When this
happens, designers blame the client
for their stupidity and poor taste.
Instead, designers should examine the
technique of how the design was sold.
Whether it’s a full-scale redesign of
a major web site or some brochure-ware
for the local workout club, selling
a visual idea (a.k.a. “the pitch”) is
one of the most difficult hurdles for a
designer to overcome. This is largely
because designers typically place a
higher value on aesthetics instead of
reason. But when a design is pitched
in purely aesthetic terms, it’s too
vulnerable to uninformed criticism and
personal preference. If the client says
“I don’t like it,” you could be sunk.
To successfully sell a visual concept to
a client, a designer must use a strategy
that turns a subjective argument into
an objective one. We’ve found that
the following objective arguments
will greatly increase your chances of
getting a client to say “yes”:
DEFINE THE CONCEPT.
Prepare for your pitch by writing
a design statement — a clear,
understandable definition of how
your design helps to solve business
goals and how it provides a rewarding
experience for the customer. Then
write an outline of how key design
decisions support this statement.
Doing this will not only make your
pitch more objective, but it also
helps you understand the client’s
perspective. It also presents the design
as “a solution to the problem,” rather
than one of personal taste.
BE READY TO ANSWER “WHY?”
Before the pitch, prepare an
explanation for every aesthetic choice
of the design — typeface, color, grid,
photograph, illustration, etc. — in
rational, not emotional, terms. For
example, if you are using the font
Verdana in a design, you have to give
reasons other than “I just like it.” If
you use this kind of rationale, then you
open the door for a client to use this
as well, “I don’t like it.”
However, it would be hard to argue
against Verdana with this type of
explanation: “This font was designed
by renowned type designer Matthew
Carter for Microsoft specifically for
optimum screen readability. It has
extra space between characters so
they don’t touch. The bolds are strong
enough so that you can always tell the
difference between bold and roman,
yet the bold characters never fill-in...”
You may not need to provide this
depth of reasoning for every choice,
but if the question arises during a
pitch, you will have this as ammunition.
Providing smart supporting
information for a design will increase
your credibility and authority in the
client’s eye. It also educates the
client, who might otherwise evaluate
the design from a purely surface
perspective.
USE SMART COMPARISONS.
Few designs are entirely original.
Before your design pitch, identify
successful design solutions similar
to yours. Use them to help give your
decisions and methods credibility. You
might consider choosing examples
that the client particularly admires.
This will reinforce to the client that
their taste has approval, and likewise
reflect a positive light on your design.
TRY, TRY AGAIN.
If your client doesn’t “get it” after
the first meeting, don’t give up.
Listen to the client’s criticism of the
design, and ask for an opportunity
to present a revision. Build a track
record of compelling ideas that
are substantiated with objective
arguments. A history of good thinking
can only build a client’s confidence and
trust in you.
Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis of
Hypergene.net, specialize in media
product development and presentation
design. They write and speak frequently
on information & graphic design, creative
development and the design process.

HOW TO
PITCH A
CREATIVE
IDEA
July 30, 2012
By: John Cofie
http://www.agencypost.com/how-to-pitch-a-creative-idea/
Creative industries have constantly
been governed by two strong forces
that — despite sharing the same
dreams for the future of the artistic
sector — constantly seem to be
challenging each other’s objectives
and work styles. The creative versus
the account in advertising, the
manager versus the artist in music or
fine arts and the producer versus the
director in film. Although fighting for
the same objectives, they seem to
follow different paths towards fame
and fortune. However, in an era of
entrepreneurialism and DIY where
person-to-person is slowly replacing
B2B, creative ideas quite often have
to be presented to potential clients by
the creatives themselves.
The move from the artistic process to
the selling of a “product” that could
potentially become a valuable addition
to any portfolio is not as easy as it may
seem. Apart from the obvious passion
and dedication that each creator has
towards his creation, there is a long set
of other factors that need to be taken
into account to ensure the work stands
out from the crowd and matches the
client’s demands perfectly.
I recently considered the challenges
graphic designers have to face when
they are both the creative and the
managerial departments of their
business.
Discussing with Keith White — founder
and creative director of Tourist, a
London-based design and branding
agency— we thought about creating
a short list with the steps that should
usually be followed when pitching a
creative idea.
THE BRIEF
There should always be a brief! Even
if the client hasn’t supplied one, it is
always good to get the beginnings of
a project down on paper. A brief will
define what the client wants to achieve
and what the creative should be
aiming for. If the client hasn’t written
a brief, write it yourself and feed it
back. This gets the project off on the
right foot and encourages a dialogue
between you and the client. Also,
don’t be afraid to challenge a brief
and ask any questions you might have.
This not only helps clarify both parties’
demands and objectives, but also
ensures a balanced and open process.
CREATIVE ITERATIVE PROCESS
The creative process is hard to define
and there really isn’t one formula to
this. The overriding thing Keith White
does when he gets a brief is to read
it over and over and — even midway
through a project — keep referring
to it. It sounds simple, but it really
helps you focus on the requirements
of the job. Sometimes what you don’t
necessarily ‘see’ to begin with, you
might pick up after re-reading it a few
times. It could also trigger new ideas
and act as a source of inspiration.
White’s agency, Tourist, typically
works through these five phases:
Discovery and Insight phase in which
they collect material by researching
a brand/project and crucially identify
what the outcomes are for both the
client and its audience.
Strategy, Ideas and Planning means
converting your research into ideas.
How relevant are they? Can they be
realised? Is there a budget?
Third phase is the creative Visualisation
and Design phase. It is during this time
that the idea is brought to life — even
if it is a schematic representation of
the final piece of work. At Tourist,
ideas are put in front of as many
people as possible in the studio. Then,
the work will continually be critiqued
and the concepts will be pushed until
we are confident we have a strong
selection of ideas for presentation. It is
also important that during this phase
the client is aware and enthusiastic
about where the project is going.
The next phase is Project Completion.
The final phase is as important as the
first: You must measure your results
and show the client ROI, learn from
them and gather information for future
activity.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Of course it is great to have an idea
to hang everything on, but it can be
subtle too. Creative is a matter of
relevance, depending on the client and
the brief. Sometimes the idea can be
in the technique — the way something
is folded, printed or produced.
Technology can shape a creative
solution, too. An idea can be as simple
as a clever piece of text or creating a
distinct tone of voice for a brand. For
White, if a building, product or service
isn’t very good, no amount of good
design or conceptual thinking can ever
dress it up perfectly.
THE TARGET AUDIENCE
The audience plays a crucial part in
the creative and pitching process.
The audience or end-user has to be
considered all the way through a
project if an idea is to work. It is not
good enough for a product, service
or building to engage with its target
audience. A new building or any
striking piece of architecture will only
work and do itself justice if an architect
has considered how people intend to
use it and move around it. It is exactly
the same when designing a website,
brochure or album sleeve.
PITCH TEAM
Depending on the meeting and the
numbers from the client side, two
to five people should be present
during a pitch. Ideally, it should be a
selection of people who complement
each other. At Tourist, the creative
director can talk about ideas and
the company’s folio, and a project
manager can discuss potential
challenges of a job or areas that might
need careful consideration or planning.
It is all down to experience. If the
project is digital or web-based, then
a technical consultant will be present.
Sometimes, even partner agencies or
organizations that have specialist skills
such as data analysis, A/B split and
multivariate testing for websites are
invited to support the ideas.
REHEARSALS
They should be done as often as
required. It also helps to have written
down a list of keywords that prompt
you to talk about the most important
aspects of your proposal. After a few
presentations you will probably create
sentence patterns and strings of words
that best articulate your work.
PRESENTATION STYLE
I once heard someone say that
whenever you talk about your work
you should remove the personal from
the equation. White is not entirely
sure this is right. A bit of personality is
always good — especially if you have
an enthusiasm for your work. However,
there is a balance. A measured style
might make the client keener to
accept your concepts and advice.
ENGAGING THE AUDIENCE DURING
THE PRESENTATION
Sometimes it is good to just listen
and allow the client to speak.
White really enjoys pitches and
presentations that end up turning into
creative discussions — or two-way
conversations. You want to stimulate
and get a reaction. Once the ice has
been broken, the atmosphere can
become more relaxed and informal.
The Tourist team has had many
meetings that started out as pitches or
presentations, but ended up turning
into a workshop. These are the ones
they enjoy the most. They can be
extremely productive and the client
always gets more out of them.
RATIONALITY VS. EMOTION
I think it would be wrong to rule
one over the other — White thinks
enthusiasm will always put you in a
great position to win a project. As long
as it’s relevant and genuine, the client
will feed off it.
THE WRAP
Asking the client for a timescale and
for some feedback on the meeting is a
good way to wrap up a presentation.
Also tease out when you’re likely to
hear back on whether or not you’ve
got the job. Of course winning a pitch
is great, but even if you’ve just missed
out on the work, constructive feedback
is always welcome and will help you
incredibly in the future.
Recently there’s been a lot written
about pitching and the merits of
buying and commissioning design.
Most of what I read argues the process
is not only bad for clients and bad for
business, but bad practice, too. But
that’s another discussion, and one we
should have soon.
See more at: http://www.agencypost.
com/how-to-pitch-a-creative-idea/#sthash.
ItvwsXB6.dpuf

PITCH
PERFECT:
THE DOS AND
DON’TS OF
CRAFTING A
SUCCESSFUL
PITCH
April 22, 2013
Will van Wyngaarden | blur Group
http://www.blurgroup.com/blogs/group/pitch-perfect-the-dos-
and-donts-of-crafting-a-succesful-pitch/
When you read hundreds of pitches
every week, it just makes your day to
find one that has absolutely nailed the
brief!
At Blur Group our Exchange Support
desk spends a huge amount of time
poring over pitches, so they’re well
placed to help you create the perfect
pitch and have kindly taken the time
to put together this list of dos and
don’ts.
Whether you’re new to pitching for
projects or an old hand, it always pays
to take a look at your pitches and to
improve them in any way you can.
There are some key elements that
turn a great pitch into a brilliant one.
Your aim when you construct your
pitch is to get your work before the
eyes of the customer and to impress
them enough to select you for their
project. Your window of opportunity
is a few pages of a pdf document,
and your success depends on how
effectively you can use that space
to showcase your experience and
skill. So to maximize your chances of
pitching successfully for a project (and
to give us that buzz when we discover
a superb pitch), we’ve compiled this
handy list of Dos and Don’ts – read
on and set your feet on the path to
constructing the perfect pitch.
DOS
Take a Look at Examples of Other
Pitches for Similar Projects
If you’re pitching for the first time,
check out these examples of stellar
pitches to get an idea of what to aim
for.
Be the Answer They’re Looking For
(ie. Pitch Specifically for the Project
Advertised)
Read the brief description and answer
it. Always tailor the pitch so you are
talking specifically to that customer,
about their project, about their
industry and how you will get them
the deliverables they are looking for.
Showing your understanding of their
industry, product, market will make
you and your pitch relevant to them
and make you stand out.
Be Clear in the Pitch
You need to make sure that you’re
very clear about what you are offering
the customer, i.e. how many press
releases, how many revisions, etc.
Show off a Little! OR A LOT
Introduce yourself and your team, if
you have one. Impress the customer
with your experience and skills
and start the process of building a
rapport. Tell them who your customers
are. Give real case studies or work
examples in your pitch, and they’re not
directly relevant to the project then a
brief description can help show what
skills you used on the previous ones
that you can bring to the customer’s
project.
Prove Your Skills
‘A picture is worth a thousand words’,
right? Showcase previous examples of
your work and the thinking behind it,
and illustrate them with screenshots
or other visuals that demonstrate your
expertise. Make sure it’s also work
that’s relevant to the current project.
Include Administrative Details
Include a pricing schedule. In order
to be shortlisted your pitch pdf
document must feature a budget.
When you calculate the budget,
integrate the blur margin in your costs
and don’t list it separately. You also
need to include a timeline of project
tasks in the document.
Make it Eye-Catching!
Use graphics wherever possible. If you
can express something in an aesthetic
way it has more of an impact on
the customer, so jazz up your pages
with an element of design, and use
infographic visuals to express ideas
wherever possible.
DON’TS
Use a Letter Format
A pitch is not a letter of introduction,
and it definitely shouldn’t look like a

Word document, nor should it read like
a CV. Think of a presentation or slide
show instead – something that grabs
the viewer visually and imaginatively!
Tell Them What They Already Know
Don’t waste any space copying the
project objectives or deliverables from
the brief description. The customer
already knows what they want – after
all they wrote the project brief in the
first place. It can be the kiss of death
right up front and remove any chances
you had of winning the project.
Take Shortcuts with Your Visuals
Don’t let your pitch lack polish by
using low-res or out-of-proportion
images. Replace any pixelated, grainy
or stretched images with professional,
high-res images that build your
credentials and strengthen your image
to the customer. You wouldn’t turn up
to a meeting with your shirt untucked
or your hair uncombed, and as your
pitch is the face you present to the
customer, it should show the same
degree of care and presentation.
Put in Your Personal Contact Details
We only shortlist projects that don’t
include personal contact information.
All initial contact occurs via blur
Group. When the expert is selected
we will set up an introduction between
the experts and customer. Make sure
we know who you are and can contact
you without personal information.
Forget to Dot the I’s and Cross the T’s
It can be devastating to your chances
to misspell the company’s name, miss
a grammar glitch or even add needless
apostrophes. Badly punctuated
sentences and spelling errors will see
your odds of winning nosedive.
Sound Like a Textbook
The briefs on the Global Services
Exchange are usually submitted by
marketing professionals, so they aren’t
looking for a lesson in marketing 101.
Try to offer information in your pitch
that’s relevant to their project, rather
than a generic lecture on the three
stages of marketing or branding etc.
Go off the Point
You will dent your chances by offering
something they are not asking for.
Initiative is always admirable, but make
sure you don’t go off scope as the
customer has briefed with a need, and
they want someone who responds to
that need.
Forget to Put in a Budget
The customer has provided a guide
budget; respond to it. If you think it
needs to be higher say why. If its too
high suggest a lower one. Don’t do
the ‘select me and we’ll talk about
the budget later’. Thats not how blur
works and customers might be willing
to talk budget details after selecting
you but they won’t select you without
a budget to start from.

Concept: In a simple and clear way, describe the concept of the
project that you wish to develop.
Solution: Describe what the solution is that your project will provide
(the solution can be provided to answer a void in the industry, the
community, or the company that you are pitching to).
Goals: Describe the goals of your project (the solution can also be a
part of it).
How: How do you plan to achieve your goals? (By a using a specific
design, by appealing to a specific community, by creating a unique
user experience, etc)
Original Content: What is the original content of your project?
Essentially outline the narrative behind your project and what
makes it unique Market Research: Is there a similar project to yours
out there? How is your project more appealing? Explain and show
examples.
User Experience: Describe in detail how people would use/
experience the design What is the user journey, what is the first
thing that the users see, and what is their likely emotional response.
Mockups: This is the stage of transforming your concept into
colourful tactile appealing physical designs. It could be 2D or 3D
mockups that help the client to visualise the finished product.
Perhaps it is just the inclusion of fabric/textural samples.
Strong Visuals! Visually appealing graphics will leave a place for
imagination and provide credibility to your idea.
Clarity: Clients want to see a clear and succinct explanation to back
your ideas and make them believe your solution is the one for them.
Budget: Provide a guide budget and give explanation as to why it is
as it is. Give options and show the premium options as well as where
the client can make savings. Be transparent about projecting the
project costs because clients don’t like expensive surprises.
Timeline: Every client has a deadline and it is important to set
expectations for the completion of the design phase and fulfillment
of the design. Don’t over promise, give realistic time frames.
Make it Eye-Catching! Use graphics wherever possible. If you can
express something in an aesthetic way it has more of an impact on
the customer, so jazz up your pages with an element of design, and
use infographic visuals to express ideas wherever possible.
A design pitch should include all the content and visual cues necessary to accurately and thoroughly
explain a concept and design/project plan to the client. You want them to fall in love with your ideas.
It is important to never send a design without conceptual explanation as it could be lost on the client.
It needs to look great, sound great and be original – from description to visual imagery and
PITCH CHECKLIST

PROTECT YOUR IP
As with all things in life, the designer needs to protect their ideas
and Intellectual Property (IP). Designers need to be cautious about
working for free and presenting ideas that could be taken without
the due payment while credit is given to another designer/group.
This is why both IP AUSTRALIA and the
DESIGN INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA (DIA) both
frown upon ‘pitching to get a job’.
Access the support documents from
these institutions in the Resource Folder.
See pages 9, 18 & 19 of the IP Australia, Protect Your
Creative document. The DIA document includes a handy
Free Pitching Matrix including a chart that outlines the
ways in which the services of designers are acquired and
the issues of free pitching associated with each.
The Voice of Professional Design
DIA’s No Free Pitching Policy
Free pitching is a term used to describe the supply of design services
without payment.
Free pitching may be initiated by a customer who requests the provision of free services, or it may
be initiated by a designer who provides free services in the hopes of later payment. Free pitching is
condemned by professional design organisations around the world.
Free pitching undermines the value of design services and destroys the
professional standing of designers.
Free pitching has many forms
On the client side there are many ways, both obvious and disguised, in which designers are encouraged
to provide their skills for free. In general a professional designer should avoid providing their skills for
free except in genuine cases of charity or in competitions where there is no intent to avoid the purchase
of professional services.
On the designer side designers initiating free pitching as a marketing method is a very messy area. It
is a continuum that ranges from the blatant to the apparently innocuous. It includes actions such as
deliberately trying to displace existing professional relationships by providing free design, the provision
of design concepts within a tender or a request for quotation, participating in a design ‘competition’ to
‘win’ a public project, and handing over brain-storming sketches at an initial client meeting to select a
design consultant.
It would be a rare designer who could say that they had a completely clean slate.
Free pitching is stealing your time
A further complexity is the existence of well-established traditions such as public competitions in the
field of architecture for major public works. And the agency pitches that are a media cliché in the
advertising industry.
Precedents such as these make it very difficult for a professional body to establish a clear rule. The DIA’s
Practice Note PN008 Free Pitching and Design Competitions includes guidelines for running design
competitions to avoid situations that take advantage of designers. The DIA has been successful on many
occasions in having competition conditions changed to provide fairer treatment of designers.
Young designers trying to carve a niche in a market with well established players face strong temptations
to free pitch. The best advice is to think clearly about the extent to which you are undermining your
ability to sell your services in future dealings with the customer and the degree to which you are
destroying your professional credibility. Spending the same time and resources on an existing client
relationship or the broad search for clients prepared to engage you on the strength of your folio is likely
to yield more certain returns.
Professional designers lead by example
The onus is on experienced designers to lead by example. They have the folios and commercial experience
to avoid free pitching. They are more likely to be in a position to explain to a customer why they don’t
provide services for free and why it is likely to result in a poor commercial outcome for the project.
The following chart has been prepared to help you visualise whether you are dealing with a free pitching issue.
Page 1
Pr otect
your
c r eative
A guide to
Intellectual
Property for
Australia’s Graphic
Designers
Including multimedia, photography,
advertising, animation, illustration,
copywriting and paper merchanting
Robust intellectual property rights delivered efficiently
Patents
trade Marks
designs
Plant Breeder’s rights

PRESENTING YOUR INITIAL IDEAS
THROUGH MOOD BOARDS
Mood boarding is a technique used by several creative fields to show visual interpretation of a design
direction. They can help to develop early ideas of what the client is aiming for with a particular project or
concept, it’s a collage of images, sketches, text, textures, fonts, shapes, colours, icons plus more, (the list
is endless), offering visual direction.
Things that can be explored in the mood board include photography style, color palettes, typography,
patterns, and the overall look and feel. Soft or hard? Grungy or clean? Dark or light? A rough collage of
colors, textures and pictures is all it takes to evoke a specific style or feeling.
As a graphic designer, mood boards can be useful as a visual aid and form of inspiration. They can help
set a visual tone for the client. If the client isn’t happy with a board, or elements of the board you can
change that instead of recreating the entire design from scratch, which means precious productivity isn’t
hindered when the design process begins.
WHERE TO START? Start with the creative brief outlining the client’s requirements. At this stage, you
should have completed research into the company/brand background, their target audience, any
distinguishing characteristics, tone and keywords. Make sure to include ideas for colours, shapes, patterns
and textures along with any indication of what fonts i think would suit the project.
HOW DO I PRESENT IT? Prepare your client by explaining how the mood board fits into your process. Tell
them what you hope to get out of the review and let them know that any and all feedback is welcomed
at this point. When you are presenting, clue your client in to the inspiration behind each of your boards.
Your starter list of adjectives is helpful here. Remind them that nothing on the boards is set in stone and
that they are simply a tool used to focus the design process. You will find that in most cases a client will
know which mood board feels right to them within seconds. If they need to see a few additional options,
making revisions at this stage is quick and painless.

HOW TO
CREATE
MOOD
BOARDS:
20 PRO
TIPS
Aug 28, 2014
Paul Wyatt and Tom May
http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/mood-boards-
812470
Mood boards can be a great way to
convey your design idea, win pitches
and get an early sign-off.
Here we explore mood boards - what
they are, how can they help, and
how you make one. Mood boards
are a great option when trying to
convey a design idea, moods, feelings
and fluffy stuff like that are hard to
communicate.
Mood boards help others to ‘get
inside our heads’ in order to convey
a thematic setting for a design or to
explain function in piece of work.
That said, mood boards can be a
pain to create, with many hours spent
trawling image galleries, websites,
books and magazines looking for
that perfect image to sum up your
intended feel for the work at hand.
So here are a collection of tips to help
make your mood board making more
effective - and double your chances of
winning that pitch!
GATHERING INSPIRATION
01. Look beyond the digital world
When putting together mood boards,
it’s easy (and therefore tempting)
to just use Google Images. But just
because you’re working on a digital
product, don’t just look for digital-based
inspiration. For example, whilst
working on the ITV news website,
digital innovators Made by Many
looked at copies of the veteran Picture
Post magazine in order to express how
powerful and effective an image plus a
caption can be for telling a news story.
Real world inspiration such as this can
be a very powerful ‘convincer’ when
putting together a board for a client.
It is also important to make sure you
use all original imagery or properly
reference material taken from sources
you don’t have copyrights to.
02. Take pictures when you’re out
Real world inspirations are all around
us. So use the camera on your phone
to take pictures of everything you
see that inspires you - whether that
be a bird in flight, a great use of
typography on a sign, or the brickwork
on a building. They don’t have to be
great photos in the traditional sense
- it’s all about capturing thoughts,
impressions, themes and feelings.
CREATING THE MOOD BOARD
03. The basic concept
What you leave out is as important
as what you choose. Have you ever
had the misfortune of going to a
gallery exhibition and it just not
doing anything for you? You weren’t
‘touched’ by the exhibition or ‘moved’
by what was on show – and other
similar emotive profusions. It’s very
easy to shove a load of stuff together
and call it an exhibition; it’s an
absolute talent to curate threads and
synergies between works and call it an
exhibition.
When putting together mood
boards, think of yourself as a curator
rather than a collector, and try to
have meaning and threads from one
image to the next. It makes for easier
interpretation.
04. Choose the right format
Find out at the outset whether your
mood board is going to be presented
in person or emailed to the client.
The answer will decide whether you
produce an offline or online mood
board. The distinction is not trivial: the
two formats demand very different
approaches.
An offline mood board will generally
be looser in style and require the extra
kick and emotive spark that comes
from it being presented to a client. An
online mood board should be tighter
and will generally need to work harder
to convey a theme or style.
Don’t be afraid to work offline and
then scan some of the visuals in for
incorporation. A hand made touch can
be the element that gets your idea
over the line.
05. Build things up around a large
image
Whether it’s being electronic or
physical, the layout of your mood
board needs to give prominence to
key theme images, then surround

these with smaller supporting images
that enhance the theme.
Again, it’s a subliminal trick. When
someone looks at a large image on
your board in their heads they’ll have
questions about it - which they’ll
quickly scan the rest of the board to
find answers for. If you place smaller
supporting images around the larger
image they should do this job for you
by clarifying the messaging given in
the larger one.
You will also need to include specifics
about font types and colourways.
06. Get tactile
When making a physical mood board,
don’t be afraid to get, well, physical.
Traditionally mood boards are made
from foam board and cutting this stuff
up with a scalpel and spray mounting
cut-out images onto it can be a pain,
especially if you’re not dexterous with
a blade. But it’s extremely effective as
a presentation tool. The tactile nature
of cut-out images glued onto boards
enhances the emotiveness of what’s
being explained. Feel free to use
mediums you are comfortable with like
double-sided tape.
It may seem like a ridiculously old
fashioned thing to do, but perception-wise
it’s a real ace up your sleeve as
a designer. Just be careful with your
fingers on that blade...
HOW TO PITCH MOOD BOARDS
07. Show your mood board early
Generally mood boards are considered
to be separate to pitch or presentation
work; they stand alone to show mood
and tone. This is standard practice, but
consider instead making them part of
your pitch or presentation. Remember,
you’re trying to use subliminal visual
tricks to make a client ‘get it’.
Mix your mood board in with the
presentation - rather than having it
as a separate item. A quality mood
board can assist and be effective in
communicating to the client.
08. Save the surprise
It’s important to make sure that a
well-meaning project manager doesn’t
email an offline mood board ahead of
the presentation ‘so they know what
we’re presenting’. For an offline mood
board it’s far better to let it all sink in
to the client’s mind as you showcase
it, rather than come armed with lots of
questions before you even start.
09. Get involved in the pitch
If your mood board is being
presented to the client, try to be
involved yourself. It makes no sense
to have something which originated
in your head being communicated
by someone else, because that way
meaning can become muddled in a
Chinese whispers-type mess.
On the same note, make sure you
present the client with a conceptual
statement to back the mood board for
clarity.
10. Keep things loose
Locking an idea or a style down in a
mood board can be detrimental, as
the client will feel shoehorned into
going with a particular style. Keep
everything a little loose and don’t
make everything look too finalised.
If you’re using preview images from
image libraries don’t worry about the
watermarking on them - it all adds up
to a ‘hey look, we can change this -
these are ideas’ feel to the board.
11. Watch the audience’s faces
When you’re presenting an offline
mood board, watch the faces of
those you’re showing it to. Ignore
any verbal client ‘oohs and ahhs’ but
instead watch their facial and emotive
reactions as they look around the
board. This will give you a much more
honest take on whether the board is
doing its job and if they’re reacting
well or badly to what you’re showing
them. You have to put these people ‘in
your mood’ so ignore their mutterings
and watch their emotive reactions.
GENERAL POINTERS
12. Hone your mood board skills
Brand gurus Landor Associates use
a form of mood board to showcase
themselves to other members of the
team. Formed of nine images in a
3x3 grid, it gives their fellow work
colleagues an insight into what that
person is like; their interests, loves,
passions, cares and worries. If you ever
want to test out your mood boarding
skills - the ultimate challenge at
making mood boards - try this out and
showcase it to your colleagues.
13. Text it up
Don’t ignore the power of a few
isolated words on a board. They’re
fantastic show-stoppers and give
your viewer pause for thought as they
have to mentally read what’s in front
of them. Big, bold words juxtaposed
together work very well at creating
drama, tone and meaning for any
project.
14. Make the theme obvious
Obscure references can be fun but try
to have a number of relatable items or
‘touch points’ featured in your mood
board. You want to let others in, so
being deliberately obtuse will earn
you no points at all. It’s much harder
to be clear and use imagery to sell
your vision than hiding behind a pile of
incomprehensible references just to fill
the board out with. But it’s worth the
effort to do so.
15. Aim to spark an emotional
response
Think a little bit left of centre if you’re

presenting a mood board to a client.
What would give them a genuine
emotive response to? Real word
objects are good for this. If you were
inspired by the beach, bring in a shell.
If your eureka moment happened on
the bus, bring in the ticket. This type
of thing intrigues people’s brains
and gains that all-important emotive
reaction.
16. Don’t make presumptions
Assumption and presumption making
can be the difference between a
successful mood board and one that’s
dismissed as being too cerebral.
There’s a danger of expecting too
much of the audience - that they’ll
‘know what you mean’. Chances are
they won’t. So if it takes a few more
references, images or textures to get
what’s inside your head into a client’s
then add them in.
17. Test your mood board
Finally, don’t forget to test out
your boards before you send them
off. Remember, it’s not a game of
Pictionary, so if your testing audience
have to ask too many times what an
image means or why it’s there, then it
probably shouldn’t be there in the first
place.
18. Have fun!
The whole process of creating mood
boards should be fun - a refreshing
break from the often tedious tasks
of the jobbing designer. If you’re not
having fun then it’s a sure sign you’re
going about things the wrong way...
USES FOR MOOD BOARDS
19. Use mood boards to brief
designers
Following on from the previous point,
mood boards are a good way to brief
a creative. Don’t be afraid to go into
detail. If you are working as a Creative
Director or have junior designers
working underneath you, the mood
board is a great way to brief them on
the job.
THE FINISHED CHARACTERS
20. Use mood boards to speed up
client signoff
Mood boards shouldn’t just be for
pitches. Consider preparing mood
boards to show other similarly themed
projects, websites or functions before
creating polished visuals.
‘I’ll know it when I see it’ is a phrase
most of us are familiar with. But to
hear this when finished artwork comes
back from a client is gutting, signifying
that it’s back to square one. Using
mood boards at different stages of
the process can help you avoid this
happening.

MOOD
BOARD:
MUST
HAVES
This page lists the absolute
must haves to be included
on any mood board being
presented to a client.
Some are of course flexible
depending on the nature of
the job however a selection
of them should be used as
appropriate.
MUST HAVES
Project name/title
Company Name: Include the name of the
design organisation who has prepared the
mood board.
Client Name: Who has the presentation
been prepared for?
Clear labeling: Use headings
and labels to make it clear what
each aspect of the mood board
is.
Submit a support document (on
a separate page) with a concept
statement.
Hand sketched design ideas:
This is a must have!!
Supporting text and descriptive
words.
Font families: Specify the use in
headings, secondary headings
and body copy.
PROJECT SPECIFIC
Typography style: A special way
in which the suggested fonts will
be used.
Shapes, graphic devices and
icons.
Colour palettes: Include a suite
of colours with colour values
and the hierarchy in which you
suggest they will be used.
Photography style
Original or referenced images:
You can use images from stock
libraries, don’t worry about the
watermark. Be conscious of the
project budget when making the
selection.
Overall look and feel: Soft or
hard? Grungy or clean? Dark or
light?

VDIS10022 Advanced Graphic Design Studio - Lecture 3 - Selling Ideas

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (9)

Similar to VDIS10022 Advanced Graphic Design Studio - Lecture 3 - Selling Ideas

Similar to VDIS10022 Advanced Graphic Design Studio - Lecture 3 - Selling Ideas (20)

More from Virtu Institute

More from Virtu Institute (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

VDIS10022 Advanced Graphic Design Studio - Lecture 3 - Selling Ideas