Moodboards are magic: How I use visual rituals in learning design
Ever feel like there’s an idea living in your brain — foggy, unformed, but you just know it’s good?
Maybe you're planning a new learning experience, pitching a client proposal, or shaping a brand voice that doesn’t feel like corporate vanilla. But every time you sit down to “start,” the screen just stares back.
Mood boards are how I break through that fog.
They’re how I gather fragments of energy, color, and meaning — and translate them into something tangible.
Whether I’m designing a custom learning solution or helping a coaching client find the visual soul of their business… mood boards are one of my favorite creative rituals.
🧠 So What Is a Mood Board, Exactly?
A mood board is a visual collage — a collection of colors, images, textures, typography, and sometimes even vibes — that helps capture the feeling, tone, or direction of a project.
Designers use them. Creatives love them.
But in the world of learning experience design, they’re an underused secret weapon.
Mood boards help you:
Get visual clarity before diving into production
Communicate the emotional feel of a course or brand
Align teams or clients early in the creative process
Spark energy and creative momentum when you're stuck
🎨 Why Mood Boards Work So Well in LXD
Let’s be real — sometimes the hardest part of designing a learning experience isn’t the content… it’s making it feel alive.
Mood boards help you move from "What should this training include?" to "What do I want people to feel, see, and experience?"
Here’s how I’ve used them:
For a client rebrand → to map the visual voice of their new onboarding experience
Inside course design → to define the tone of each module before creating slides
In coaching sessions → to help clients visualize their next evolution
And yes — I mood board myself too. It’s how I clarify what’s next when words feel too slippery.
🧰 Tools I Love (and How to Start)
You don’t need fancy software. I’ve created mood boards in:
Pinterest (for collecting inspiration)
Canva (with drag-and-drop templates)
Milanote (super intuitive for organizing ideas)
A blank Google Slide (yes, really!)
✨ Want my Canva starter template? [Drop your email here / Join the Club / Link it]
🪄 How to Make One — the Spark Way
Here’s a quick-start version of my process:
Get clear on the goal.
Is this for a course? A brand? A learning moment?Name the feeling.
What do you want people to experience? (e.g. “empowered,” “calm,” “creative”)Collect visual inspiration.
Look for: photos, colors, textures, fonts, screenshots, quotes, even memes.Assemble the board.
Use whatever tool feels easiest. Don’t overthink the layout — you’re creating a vibe, not a wireframe.Edit with intention.
Remove anything that doesn’t serve the mood. Keep what sparks.
👀 Want to See an Example?
Here’s a peek at a mood board I created for a recent course concept: [Insert screenshot or link]
Notice how everything — from the color palette to the typography — supports the emotional goal: “bold, curious, and inclusive.”
🔁 Mood Boards Aren’t Just for Designers
You don’t need to be “visual” to make one.
You just need to care about how your ideas feel — to your learners, your audience, or yourself.
Mood boards help you:
Get out of your head and into your creativity
Align messy ideas into meaningful direction
Communicate a concept before creating a single slide
They're not fluff. They’re strategy.
🛸 Ready to Try One?
✨ If you're a learning designer, coach, or creative thinker — try making a mood board for your next project.
Tag me if you do. Or come nerd out with us in Learning Jam Club — we’re always mood boarding something.
You might be surprised what comes through when you give your ideas a visual voice.
