Styleboards & Their Importance

What are Stylesboards and how can they help in the creative process?

It’s easy to get lost in the grind and miss a few steps in our design process. But one step that really shouldn’t be missed is Styleboards. Similar to mood boards and style tiles, Styleboards are a collection of select images, typography, and colors that help convey a visual message. However, they take things a step further because they can help determine whether the designer and client are on the same visual page. “Established and traditional” can look quite different depending on who is being asked. 

Mood boards and style tiles have been around for a while, but their relevance was reintroduced when The Futur published Designing a Brand. This was a mini web series that chronicles the rebranding process of a brewery called Hamilton Brewery. They refer to their Styleboards as Stylescapes. I highly recommend this mini-series to anyone curious about the creative process. They do an amazing job of thoroughly walking the viewer through each step.

Thanks to the Hamilton Brewery mini-series, The Futur helped highlight the importance of Styleboards because it helps the client and designer be on the same visual page before starting on the actual designs. It also makes the client feel more involved in the creative process for their branding. 

I highly recommend including Styleboards to any design/research process. If you are unfamiliar with Stylescapes, go and check out The Futur’s video How to Design Brand Identity Stylescapes. Enjoy!