Ch19. Unwrapping CMF Design on Storytelling with CMF Moodboard

As the name suggests, CMF moodboard is used to express the “mood” of color and materials. It is also a powerful tool in presenting design proposals. How so? 🧐 (中文版)

At project kick-off when design is just drafted, a moodboard helps industrial designer to understand the effect that CMF designer has in mind. Meanwhile, for non-design colleagues or decision makers, it also helps them to visualize.

CMF is a specific discipline within industrial design that focuses on the development of a product’s color, material, and finish. Unwrap CMF shares bite-sized stories of CMF Design to inform and inspire those interested in this niche yet fascinating field, with digestible contents for anyone and everyone.

To put it simple, when images are carefully chosen and arranged, a moodboard does the storytelling for you.

If we describe “red” verbally, it could be a fiery fire red or a delightful coral red. Even more specifically, a saturated fire red presents an expressive mood of outbreaking passion, but if the brightness and saturation are reduced, an orange-ish darker “fire red” delivers an entirely different passion in forbearance.

Lost with words? That is why CMF moodboard is a powerful visual supplement. Via the use of images to quickly present the concept of CMF, and make up to wherever indescribable with text.

CMF moodboard can be in different forms: in digital or with physical samples; of a single color for product proposal, or a range of colors for annual trend palette; it can contain visual elements such as images, color swatches, or material samples, as well as rationale such as keywords, trend intro, or consumer insights. Therefore, the first step of preparation is: Why is it needed? What is it for?

A physical moodboard would be more convenient at a in-person design workshop. A digital version can be easily sent via email, and added with supportive text to help non-design colleagues to understand the rationale behind the proposal.

More tips will be shared in the future. If you are eager to try, search for “CMF moodboard” on Google or Pinterest to find a bunch of great examples and start practicing! 😉

In addition to the choice of color, the presented materials should also deliver an echoing mood to the color.

Depends on its usage, a moodboard can present a single color for product proposal, or a range of colors for annual trend palette.

Via images of different colors and materials, a variety of moods can be presented even with the most basic PowerPoint software.

Of the same colors, “gradient” and “iridescence” CMF effects can be differentiated by the choice of different images — one is the transition from one color to another, the latter is colors reflected via lighting. The difference can hardly be rendered. That’s when CMF moodboards becomes a power tool in distinguishing the two.

Enjoy learning? Use the CMF terminologies mentioned above and continue on with your own research journey on the web. Comments and inspirations are welcome!
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