Moodboards
Research & exploration
direction studies

Moodboard with merch-inspired fashion, bold graphics and typographic elements – curated by Karin Glarner

Visual Research & Direction Studies

Some of the best ideas live in the shadows — raw, unpolished, full of possibility. This space brings together early sparks: multiple moodboards, style directions, and visual explorations before anything is set in stone.

Developed across different concept phases, each board captures a distinct line of thought — from emotional tone to strategic identity. Together, they form a playground for experimenting freely, shaping aesthetics, and exploring potential narratives. All imagery is curated from public platforms (mainly Pinterest) and used for non-commercial, inspirational purposes only.

– conceptual thinking
– visual exploration
– direction studies
– mood & tone testing
– experimentation

Multiple concepts.
Scroll to explore each direction.

Moodboard with gradients, clear textures and playful elements – curated by Karin Glarner for visual research & direction studies

Moodboard Direction: Unpolished Sparks, a space to explore aesthetic intuition – balancing clear surfaces with playful forms. Built to shape mood, test atmosphere, and discover visual language. All imagery is non-commercial and curated from public sources for directional research.

Moodboard showing type trends from bubble and chrome to organic and glassy styles – curated by Karin Glarner

Typographic Trends: Exploring forms, textures and attitudes in letter design – from bubbly and soft to chrome and crystal clear.

Animated concept layout with pastel colors, bubble overlays and dreamy typography – developed and designed by Karin Glarner

Design Drafts: Concept development through visual mood studies. Layouts were created to explore tone and context. Some images used for study purposes (Pinterest); layout, color, type and concept by me.

Seated figure with translucent bubbles – image composed in Photoshop with light AI support by Karin Glarner

Jumping figure surrounded by soap bubbles – visual study by Karin Glarner using Photoshop’s generative AI features

Dynamic pose with oversized soap bubbles – composed by Karin Glarner using Photoshop with integrated AI tools

Organic neon blob shape on white background – fluid, abstract, and playful

Abstract neom fluid shape on white background – playful, bold, and organic

Visual Study: A series of compositional experiments combining found imagery (Pinterest/Google) with AI-generated soap bubbles. The aim was to capture movement and visual lightness through oversized bubbles and dynamic figures. For non-commercial, inspirational use only.

Animated moodboard with bold 3D shapes, colorful patterns and typographic research – curated and compiled by Karin Glarner

Visual Research: This first phase was all about getting a feel for the right visual language – bold, playful, a little loud. I collected references, explored different directions and looked for artists whose energy matched the project. Images used for inspiration only, non-commercial.

From Mood to Message
A Concept Study in Style & Emotion

Portrait of a shaved-head woman in soft light with bold hoop earrings and sky backdrop – study look and feel by Karin Glarner

Animated moodboard capturing the feeling of summer closing – freedom, community and warmth through visual storytelling by Karin Glarner

This project came out of an early concept phase – a space to think freely, explore moods, and shape ideas through visual language. It wasn’t about execution yet, but about asking: What kind of world do we want to create? What could it feel like?

I worked with type, textures, and imagery to build a tone that felt bold, soft, and human. Some elements like the T-shirt mockups were created as part of the visual exploration and were not developed further at this stage. The work reflects how I approach creative direction: deeply, emotionally, and with a clear sense of visual storytelling.

Concept board with keywords and visuals for AIR – early phase design and messaging exploration by Karin Glarner

Moodboard & concept keywords – Early explorations of tone, energy and messaging. Editorial visual direction – Expressive, fluid and sunlit – aiming for emotional connection.

Close-up portrait with short blond hair and soap bubbles – part of a visual mood exploration by Karin Glarner

Shiny chromatic 3D typography spelling “AIR” – a visual experiment by Karin Glarner

Typo Experiment – A test with chromatic 3D type to define mood and style direction.

Statement draft – Framing the project purpose and audience connection. into physical formats and community touchpoints.

Two T-shirt mockups featuring the word “Expand” as a visual design study by Karin Glarner – exploring how concepts translate into physical formats

Merchandise mockups – Designed to test how visual elements could extend into physical formats and community touchpoints.

Visual Exploration – Testing Directions & Mood

Explorative story layout for EAIR23 by Karin Glarner, using curated visual material to test mood, rhythm, and digital storytelling

Explorative studies developed to test visual tone, content rhythm, and brand expression across digital formats. Each direction reflects a different emotional and stylistic approach.