In this guide you’re going to learn what stylescapes are, how they play a pivotal role in the design strategy, and how to use them in your own design process.
Plus, to save you some time, I’ll share the template I use in my brand design process, so let’s get started!
First thing first...
What are Stylescapes?
Here’s a video I made talking about stylescapes with more insight on the how and why I use them
Should I use Stylescapes or Moodboards?
Moodboards and stylescapes are similar in many ways, but they have some key differences. While moodboards are great for capturing the general feel of a project, stylescapes take it a notch further. They give a more detailed and precise visual direction.
Both tools can serve different purposes and you can use them together on the same project. You can start with a moodboard to give you a rough idea of what direction you want to go in, and then design stylescapes based on that moodboard to get a more refined direction of your design.
🎁 Free stylescape template
How to create a stylescape
Ready to get started creating a Stylescape? Fantastic! Creating a Stylescape is like cooking up a recipe; you gather your ingredients, prep them, mix them, and then refine to get the perfect dish.
Let’s break it down in four steps:
💡 Gathering inspiration
This is your first step. You’ll look for design elements that resonate with the vibe of your project. It could be a vintage advertisement that catches your eye, a website with a color scheme you love, or a font style from a movie poster. Get creative and start collecting!
✍️ Defining visual components
Now that you’ve gathered your ingredients, it’s time to identify the key flavors. Look at your inspiration and pull out the elements that stand out. This could be specific colors, textures, typography or images.
🖊️ Sketching and arranging elements
✨ Refining the stylescape
Examples:
In this example we used stylescapes to create four very different visual directions for the same brand:
What tools do I use?
When it comes to creating Stylescapes, there are several digital tools you can use:
💻 Software
The obvious tools for the job are Photoshop or Illustrator. Personally I prefer using Illustrator to generate the assets and Photoshop to bring together the full composition.
📸 Images
Early stylescapes are not part of the final design and will only be seen by you an your client, so you have more freedom when sourcing images. Pages like Behance or Pinterest are great for design inspiration. As for stock images, some good free options are Pexels or Unsplash.
Recently we’ve seen new tools like Adobe Firefly or Midjourney enter the scene and give us easy access to AI generated images. The images generated are sometimes rough but they are great for visualising ideas and iterating fast so they can be a great tool to create elements for your stylescapes.
🔤 Fonts
Make sure you use professional fonts in your stylescape to make sure you don’t run into problems when you move on to the final design.
Why I use stylescapes in my design process
Stylescapes aren’t just about making pretty pictures, they can be a crucial part of your design strategy. Let’s dive into why.
🧭 Stylescapes can guide your design process
Stylescapes can help in communication between designers and clients
Ever had a “lost in translation” moment with a client? Trying to decipher a client’s vision can be tricky. Here’s where stylescapes step in. These visual guides act as a shared language between you and your client. Presenting a stylescape early on gives your client a clear idea of the design direction, making feedback more accurate and productive.
🚀 Stylescapes can speed up the design process
It may feel like adding an extra step but by defining a clear visual direction from the start, stylescapes can actually make your process more efficient. One of the biggest pain points when working with clients is having to go through revisions. Stylescapes allow you to set the tone of the design early on and minimize revisions down the line.
🎯 Stylescapes can lead to more precise and cohesive designs:
Ever looked at a design and thought, “This just feels right”? That’s the power of precision and cohesiveness in design, and stylescapes can help you achieve it. By integrating all the visual elements together in one composition, stylescapes ensure that every piece of your design fits together seamlessly. The result? Your designs won’t just look good, they’ll feel right, resonating with your audience on a deeper level. Once you experience the power of stylescapes, there’s no going back!
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