Getting Into The Mindset Of A Designer - Mind-maps & Mood boards

MIND-MAPS

A mindmap is a highly useful process with the help of which designers can organise ideas in important categories such as -

• Concept Title

• Season

• Inspiration

• Materials

• colours

• Research

A mindmap allows for the designer to see their thoughts clearly on a page. It enables them to find their niche for the collection. It can be best created by taking a piece of A3 paper and starting in your inspiration and then branch out from that. It can include pictures if you like!

MOOD BOARD (Story board for the concept)

- Is a powerful visual that will enable your target client to understand what your concept is about. - Has a story throughout the collection.

- Is a more formal statement of your concept and helps establish the feeling of the collection.

- Expresses the essence of your ideas , sums up the themes and reflects the seasons.

- Helps to focus and crystallise your ideas , whilst assisting you towards design solutions.

How to create a mood board ?

• To ensure the flow of design , you can Check the mood board whilst designing as it can be a reference point of your Collection

• Motifs are very important through out the collection- this is what ties everything together.

• It could be a print, a piece of embroidery, the way things are cut. This can be emulated on your mood board.

• Creating mood board at this stage entails arranging images and ideas from your research on an A3 sheet.

• It aims to give an indication of how your design work will evolve.

• The sheet you are creating should relate to the rest of your presentation and should be collated as if for a magazine page, forming a visual representation of your concept/ theme.

• Try to make your collage of images as harmonious as possible.

• Using only coloured images or using images of the same tone might add effect.

• The most successful mood boards have a focal point. So play with the scale of the images you choose.

• Make the images visually stimulating.

• Make the board stylistically cohesive and harmonious.

• Avoid using only fashion images.

• Work on a professional, clean presentation.