10 Best Mood Board Apps and Software for Interior Designers

Mood Board Apps and Software

It is the first step to every project, the point where it all starts feeling real, and ideas start translating to visuals – a mood board. While there are one too many ways for you to make a mood board, finding the right tool for you can help save time and frustration.

As an interior designer, you know that not all mood board software can accommodate your specific needs. You need something that is built for you. We are counting down the 10 best mood board apps and software for interior designers so you can save the time you would spend filtering through the crowd.

We will go over the pros and cons of each mood board software, how much they will set you back (Psst! Some free ones too), and how you can download them or sign up (iOS, Android, Website).

Read also – 14 Pro Tips To Create Mood Boards for Interior Design

A mood board is a visual presentation that sets the tone for a project. Mood boards can convey concepts, ideas, or even general feelings and emotions. A mood board can consist of photographs, graphics, color swatches, typography, and any other visual element that evokes the desired sentiment.

Mood boards can be used by individuals and teams to put into visual what words fail to describe precisely. They help get your design ideas and vision streamlined and can also aid in explaining your concept to clients or co-workers.

Interior designers, graphic designers, illustrators, animators, filmmakers, costume designers, and nearly every artistic profession that works with visuals use mood boards.

Read also – 9 Best Interior Design Apps for Home Interiors

Image Credit: vevano.com

Beyond being a visual guide for a given project, mood boards serve many distinct roles in interior design.

Generally, interior designers use mood boards to collate the different elements they wish to add to the room. This can include paint swatches, molding references, and even actual products like lighting, art, or rugs.

Assembling all your ideas in one inspiration board helps you see if all the components work together. You can also judge if they manage to accomplish the vision you had in mind.

Read also – 20 Best Home Design Apps for Interior Designers

First, let us get this out of the way. There is no cardinal rule as to how one should create a mood board. Everyone has their own process, and none is wrong until it gets the job done. However, everyone could use some structure sometimes – especially beginners.

If your current mood boarding method is not working for you, or you have never made an interior design mood board before – use our easy 3-step outline.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

Step 1: Bring In What Is Not Going Out

Every project may have an element or two that have personality and are just, well, not going anywhere. Whether it is a window, beams, or even flooring that your client does not want to get rid of, you should add them to your mood board first.

Getting the non-negotiable components in early helps you keep them in mind while designing the room. This way, the permanents don’t stick out like a sore thumb once you are all done.

Step 2: Look for Pictures

Browse through the places you find your inspiration- Pinterest, Behance, Dribble, or social media. Your favorite e-commerce platforms make for good spots to find pictures too. Download all that fits your vision.

You are not necessarily looking for fully-done rooms to add to your mood board. Here are some elements you can look for:

• Paint swatches
• Floors
• Rugs
• Furniture (chairs, tables, sofas)
• Lighting
• Furnishings (sheets, throw pillows, throw blankets)
• Art (paintings, frames, sculptures)
• Decor (baskets, trinkets, plants)

Step 3: Arrange & Experiment

Now that you have your ammunition, you can start putting it on your canvas. Some mood board apps allow you to drag and drop your images and remove backgrounds. Leverage the features of your interior design mood board maker to the fullest.

Remember to mix and match and try out different options and combinations so you can test out what will work best.

Read also – 20 Best Floor Plan Apps To Create Your Floor Plans

Here are some benefits of using mood boards as an interior designer:

1. Stimulates ideas and creativity
2. Brings your vision to life
3. Helps convey your idea to clients & teams
4. Fosters healthy client relationships
5. Serves as a reference point
6. Makes collaborations simpler
7. Keeps you on track

For efficiency, we will discuss two types of digital mood boards.

Don’t get us wrong; physical mood boards are awesome! That little vision board in your bedroom is hella cute, and there is nothing like being able to play around with your ideas physically. However, digital mood boards take the cake when it comes to professional mood boarding.

Digital mood boards are easy to edit, make teamwork comfortable, and are painless to share – let alone the massive savings in terms of time and effort.

Collage mood boards are the most commonly seen and used type of mood board. They are, as the name suggests, a collage of images and text. Collage mood boards are easy to make, time-efficient, and can be made in readily accessible software.

A lot of mood board apps for interior designers use the collage format. Collage mood boards are simple, effective, and beginner-friendly.

Image Credit: cloudinary.com

3D renders serve one ultimate purpose taking the humble collage mood board one step further. Creating a replica of the space you are working on and adding the components in 3D can help you make a very realistic judgment on whether what you have in mind will work.

Nothing works as phenomenally as a 3D render to give your client an accurate representation of your concept.

You can use some of the best mood board apps we have listed below to create realistic 3D renders in simple steps.

Read also – How 3D Rendering Can Increase Profits in Your Interior Design Business?

10 Best Mood Board Apps and Software for Interior Designers

The options for mood board apps are many, but only a few make the cut for the best mood board apps for interior designers. These are our top picks.

1. Foyr Neo

Making 3D renders accessible for all, Foyr Neo takes the first spot in our list of best mood board apps for interior design. What gives it the edge? Foyr Neo is specifically built for interior designers and their needs.

Pros

• AI-Assisted
• No CAD knowledge required
• Drag and drop interface
• 360-degree walkthroughs
• Time-saving
• No plug-ins needed
  

Cons

• Small learning curve
• Desktop only

Cost – $25/month. 14-day free trial available.

2. PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides

These are the best free mood board apps there are. PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides are apps nearly everyone is familiar with and has access to. You can use these trusty apps to create your collage mood boards.

Pros

• Free
• Accessible
• Easy-to-use
• Good for beginners
• Use across devices
  

Cons

• Limited features

Cost – Free

Ratings

Powerpoint: App Store 4.7 · ‎284,543 reviews | Play Store 4.3 · ‎2,024,081 votes

Keynote: App Store 3.5 · ‎15,664 reviews

Google Slides: App Store 4.6 · ‎230,728 reviews | 4.1 · ‎560,344 votes

Read also – 15 Best Free Home Design Software and Tools

3. Pinterest

Pinterest is every creative’s favorite place to find inspiration. However, few have explored the wonderful world of Pinterest boards. You can effortlessly make mood boards on Pinterest and even organize your projects into multiple boards. No editing, no frills!

Pros

• Free
• Beginner-friendly
• Stays saved
• Time-saving
  

Cons

• Limited features

Cost – Free

Ratings

App Store 4.8 · ‎4,178,962 reviews | Play Store 4.6 · ‎9,043,537 votes

Read also – 15 Best Free Floor Plan Creator

Image Credit: pinterest.com

4. Milanote

Milanote squeezes most apps you would need to create a mood board into one powerful tool. It offers templates you can choose from and even integrates with Unsplash to offer high-quality images to add to your board. You can organize multiple projects, collaborate with your team (even leave notes), and share the boards.

Pros

• Drag and drop interface
• Templates
• Use across devices
• Good for teams

Cons

• Low rating for Android app

Cost -$9.99/ month for individuals. Limited free version available.

Ratings

App Store 4.6 · ‎762 reviews | Play Store 3.2 · ‎500 votes

Read also – 15 Best Free Interior Design Software and Tools

5. Evernote

Evernote is an organization app that allows you to make quick, functional mood boards. You can create notebooks for different projects and add images to the notebook to make your own mood board. Evernote, too, allows for collaboration with teams and quite a few customizations.

Pros

• Easy-to-use
• Drag and drop interface
• Use across devices
• Good for teams

Cons

• Limited design control

Cost -$3/month for individuals. Limited free version available.

Ratings

App Store 4.4 · ‎2,763 reviews | Play Store 4 · ‎1,696,910 votes

Read also – 15 Best Free Kitchen Design Software

6. Canva

If you have been sleeping in Canva, you are missing out. The mighty app is one of the best mood board software for interior designers. The many templates and stickers make it easy to create aesthetically pleasing, beautiful mood boards. You can also search for images within Canva and add them to your collage mood board.

Pros

• Free
• Easy-to-use
• Drag and drop interface
• Templates
• Extensive design flexibility
• Use across devices

Cons

• No interior-design specific features

Cost – Free for individuals. $51/year for teams

Ratings

App Store 4.9 · ‎1,038,540 reviews | Play Store 4.8 · ‎8,035,695 votes

Read also – 15 Best 3D Rendering Software Alternatives

7. Adobe Illustrator

If you have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud and are familiar with Illustrator, it is, hands down, one of the simplest ways to make a mood board. While it may be a little complex for beginners, the software gives you complete control over what your mood board looks like.

Pros

• Extensive design flexibility
• Use across devices

Cons

• Not beginner-friendly
• Time-consuming
• Limited functionality with mobile apps

Cost – $30/month for Creative Cloud Apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat Pro)

Ratings

App Store 4.6 · ‎20,810 reviews | Play Store 3.9 · ‎123,817 votes

Read also – 10 Best Free 3D Modeling Software

8. Moodboard

Making and publishing a mood board does not get simpler than this. Moodboard is one of the best free mood board apps there really is. It is a straightforward interface that offers you templates or starter mood boards to choose from. You can quickly add images to your canvas and get beautiful mood boards.

Pros

• Free
• Easy-to-use
• Templates
• No download needed
• Beginner-friendly

Cons

• Limited features
• Desktop only

Cost – Free

Read also – 15 Best Floor Plan Software Tools

9. Mural

With a focus on teams, making collaborations easier, and simplifying workflow, Mural calls itself a digital whiteboard. You can use Mural to create a mood board with images, notes, and tasks. The best part is that Mural’s limited plan allows you to test the software with your team.

Pros

• Good for teams
• Organization tools
• Drag and drop interface
• Templates
• Use across devices

Cons

• Small learning curve
• Limited design flexibility
• Low rating for mobile apps

Cost – $9.99/month/per member. Limited free version available.

Ratings

App Store 2.5 · ‎82 reviews | Play Store 1.7 · ‎245 votes

Read also – 10 Best Free Bathroom Design Apps and Software

Image Credit: mural.co

10. InVision

“Not a whiteboard, a workboard,” InVision focuses on empowering teams to collaborate and work faster. InVision’s Boards are perfect for mood boarding. You can use the app on your iPad or iPhone. Opt for templates to get started and create and share interior design mood boards simply.

Pros

• Good for teams
• Organization tools
• Drag and drop interface
• Templates
• Use across devices

Cons

• Small learning curve
• No Android app

Cost – $7.95 per active user/month. Limited free team plan available.

Ratings

App Store 4.3 · ‎2,549 reviews

Read also – 20 Best Home Renovation Apps and Software

Collage mood boards are easy to make and have a DIY feel to them. However, if you are an interior design professional looking to make your mark in the industry and impress your clients- choose 2D or 3D floor plans.

Foyr Neo makes it possible for you to get started with no prior CAD or 3D Modeling experience. The tool is made for interior designers, and adapting to it will be an intuitive breeze for you.

Create photorealistic renders in minutes to improve your workflow and help clients see your vision. Get started with a 14-day free trial today.

No matter your years of experience or the size of your team, mood boards are a utility for all interior designers. Your process of making a digital mood board can be made more effective if you opt for mood board software for interior designers.

Mood board apps make it easy to translate your vision into visuals and share them with your team and clients. They help you save time and serve as a reference point whenever you need to look back.

Choose an app that works best for you and your team!

1. Are free mood board apps good?

Absolutely! If you are a beginner looking to create simple mood boards, there are plenty of free apps you can use. The free presentation and note apps on your phone or desktop do great.

2. What should I look for in mood board software?

A mood board software needs to work for you. Consider your requirements, your team strength, and your budget first. Then browse through the features of the mood board software available, read some reviews online and on social media, and shortlist the ones you think are best for you.

We always recommend taking free trials, if available, before you finalize a mood board maker.