Style Tiles as a Portal into Brand Storytelling
In 2021, I was asked to talk about the process of creating style tiles during Design Lightning Talks, at Postlight. Style Tiles are the artistic wild child between mood boards and mockups and are essential when the mood boards are too vague and mockups are too literal to translate brand smoothly into the digital experience.
Hot Take: Product design usually isn’t creatively satisfying
I rarely find inspiration and aspiration within product. When the software UI and product does not inspire a narrative, I use mood boards to establish ambience and emotional experience.
Getting Started
1. Be the Collector and Gatherer
Begin by collecting inspiration that resonates with your vision through sounds, images, fonts, colors, even your own photo roll!
- Gather direction inspiration such as interface designs, website designs, fonts, and colors
- Gather indirection inspiration such as books, sculptures, movies, paintings, your own photo roll
2. List Experience Words
For this exercise, stay away from using visual images. This also might require you close your eyes and do some product dreaming. “How do you want the user to feel and move?”
- Write down worlds that capture the desired vision such as emotions, verbs, adjectives
3. Group into Themes
Now, aim to create 2-3 different yet distinct style tiles.
4. Script the Story
This last step is to create a brand narrative that not only inspires the user but you and your client. Think about your audience and about the type of adventure you are about to take them on (through this software)
- Tie in this story with the visuals
Wrapping Up:
Remember to include:
- Typography stiles
- Color palettes
- CTAs and Buttons Styles
- Iconography
- Illustrations or Photography
