Moodboarding Analysis – The Funnel Shape

I thought it could be interesting to share a bit on the blog what I teach in my workshops targeted to professionals (apart from the online courses) who want to sell more with the help of a Moodboarding Analysis of their business. Through different techniques you can define your signature style which can be used for your brand image or blog. And as an ultimate goal will help you sell more.

But today I’d like to share with you an analysis of a mood board and why it works, the way it has been created. Many people still underestimate the power of a WELL-STRUCTURED mood board. Structure is key to convey a message, otherwise it can be perceived as a confusing collage or just a nice gallery to look at but with no major impact.

Bynord is an online shop that sells wonderful home decor complements. As a stylist who has shot quite come catalogs, I can confirm that  look book images are crucial when your main catalog is made of pack shots. They give a feel of how a product line can look in a home and give ideas. The possible end consumer is drawn to that environment or look and ends up shopping (much more) relating to that styled image. Today’s image above is an older one from a former campaign but really timeless.

So, why is this mood board working?

I. First of all, the FUNNEL SHAPE which point towards the product itself that is placed at the lower 2/3 of the image, is really powerful here. Your eye goes from top to bottom and ends at a (not so) randomly placed still life. What started with a pleasant visual scroll, ends with concise information. This is very smart. Imagine for a moment the funnel pointing toward the top (ok, that would not be a funnel anymore but a kind of triangle). Loosing the message here, right? The mood board in itself is not selling anything concrete, but helps to sell it all!

II. NEGATIVE SPACE makes sense here due to the funnel shape and it is always a very good counterpart to much overlaying. The eye needs to rest a bit and the white space is essential.

III. If you OVERLAY, do it wisely. It’s in itself an entire technique to learn. For today, please note, if you overlay all images as it’s done here, it works fine if you don’t aim to give a concrete message but an overall look. All images have the same color palette, there is no text to read, so there is anything special to highlight and overlapping gets easy. This collage is more about about a general mood or lifestyle. Notice, the most eye-catching image is at the bottom of the collage – right there where it points toward the product!

IV. And last but not least, we have a certain COLOR COMBO here which is mainly b&w and a few sepia brown-ish images to make it warmer and, in my opinion, add interest. The color palette is steady and the pop of the yellow glass just blends in perfectly. B&W only is fine but you might risk to make it a bit flat. And remember, we talk about a sales strategy here.

Suggestions: I would have tried to place the yellow glass just underneath the funnel if we talk symmetry. But that’s just my personal taste.

So, what do you think? Do you agree on the balance of this mood board? Please leave me a comment in the comment section, I’d love to hear about it! Thank you. G, x