Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: CAD • Sustainable Fashion • Notion

Mood Board

Term from Fashion Design industry explained for recruiters

A mood board is a collection of images, materials, colors, and textures that designers put together to communicate the overall feel or direction of a fashion project. Think of it like a visual brainstorm that helps designers share their ideas with others on the team. Fashion designers create these boards to plan collections, pitch ideas to clients, or guide the development of a brand's style. Similar terms you might see are "inspiration board," "concept board," or "style board." It's a fundamental tool used in fashion design to ensure everyone involved in a project understands the intended look and feel.

Examples in Resumes

Created seasonal Mood Boards that guided the development of spring/summer collection

Developed Mood Boards and Style Boards for client presentations, resulting in 85% approval rate

Led team workshops using Mood Boards and Inspiration Boards to align creative direction

Typical job title: "Fashion Designers"

Also try searching for:

Fashion Designer Textile Designer Apparel Designer Creative Director Fashion Product Developer Design Consultant Fashion Creative

Where to Find Fashion Designers

Online Communities

Professional Networks

Industry Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you use mood boards to guide a team through a full collection development?

Expected Answer: A senior designer should explain how they use mood boards to communicate seasonal themes, coordinate with different departments (production, marketing, sales), and maintain consistency throughout the collection development process.

Q: How do you adapt mood boards for different stakeholders in the fashion business?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate ability to create different versions of mood boards for various audiences - detailed technical boards for production teams, visually appealing boards for clients, and strategic boards for executives.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you translate a mood board into actual design elements?

Expected Answer: Should explain the process of extracting specific colors, patterns, and silhouettes from mood board elements and applying them to actual garment designs.

Q: What tools and methods do you use to create effective mood boards?

Expected Answer: Should discuss both digital and physical mood board creation, including software tools, material sampling, and organization techniques.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What elements do you include in a basic mood board?

Expected Answer: Should mention key components like color swatches, fabric samples, inspiration images, sketches, and text elements that convey the design theme.

Q: How do you organize elements on a mood board to tell a coherent story?

Expected Answer: Should explain basic principles of visual hierarchy, color coordination, and layout to create a clear narrative through the board's arrangement.