Fashion boards are important for designers as it is a powerful tool and can maximize the creative process. It is the basis of sharing a vision and to stay on course. Boards allow to collect thoughts, ideas from places one visits, colours etc. The visual representation is a constant motivator and helps provide in piecing together a gleam of an idea into a full-fledged collection.

There are three kinds of boards – Inspiration Board, Moodboard and Look Board that serve different purposes during the design process.

An inspiration board is a collage of images, works and objects that has been collected and kept as an inspiration for a prospective design project. An inspiration board can be made of practically anything, doodles, clippings, fabrics etc. Moodboards and Inspiration boards are usually thought to be the same but they are two different types of boards used in different stages of a project. An inspiration board is an amalgamation of references brought together that are detrimental or form the source of the muse. The moodboard on the other hand is used to help determine the most generated idea about the look and feel of the content.

Inspiration Board

Image Source: Fashion Ave

The inspiration board influences what goes on into the moodboard. Moodboards are prepared to present the elements involved in a collection. They are a valuable resource that helps the designer’s stay on track and consistent with the design idea. They are used before starting the design process. They are a simple way of communicating high concept idea in a creative way. A moodboard is a layout of pictures, materials, text, clippings and anything that induces a specific concept or idea. It is basically the first draft of the project.

Moodboards

Image Source: Digital Portfolio

The look board on the other hand is presents a visual presentation of the direction for the final output of the project. The elements from the inspiration board and moodboard are used to come up with constructive ideas for the looks of the collection. The look board brings together various elements to showcase how each can be brought together to show signature styles, styling of the garments, colour palette, garment construction etc. these could be in the form of sketches or images sourced from sites that align with the designer’s vision.

Lookboard

Image Source: Flickr

Fashion boards can be physical or digital.

The physical board is created by collecting pictures from sources like magazines, newspapers or any other physical medium etc. and sticking them on a board. Though messy in creation, it helps designers to think outside the limitations of a screen. Physical boards are difficult to share with Clients and other team members.

Physical Board

Image Source: Artjournalist

Whereas digital boards are created using design tools, and may cause a hindrance since they are may be used with the same mindset while creating layouts or formats. Digital boards can be created on design softwares or other options like Spingpad, Pinterest, Moodzer, Adobe Spark, Canva etc. They are easy to share with multiple people directly.

Image Source: Dribbble

Components in a Fashion board

A moodboard needs to include as many essentials required to convey the feel of the design/muse.

Images: They could be sources from hardcopies or from online sources.
Colours: The colour palette for the collection.
Textures: Textures or patterns that the design will incorporate needs to be added.
Explanations: It could be added to help add context and show how various parts work together.

The details in the board must be concise and easily understood by the viewer, clients and team members. Visuals and layout are of importance as it holds the attention of the people involved and provides a structure to create a journey.

Aspiring fashion designers are made well versed with the various boards during their design journey. They form an important part of the design process. The main function of fashion boards is to focus on designer’s vision, style and direction of the collection also relaying the colour influences and design area. It is basically the summary of the project before a serious design development begins.

Students can learn all about these boards in Diploma in Fashion Design, a 1 year intensive course offered by JD Institute of Fashion Technology across its South Centres. It will that take them through the nuances of fashion design in a short time, as it helps to enter the professional life quickly and reap benefits quickly. Admissions for the academic year 2020-21 is now open across

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