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You've probably heard of vision boards from celebrities like Oprah (one of the biggest advocates of vision boards) or spiritual leaders like Deepak Chopra. But more and more creatives are also finding ways to use them to create new projects or grow personally.
In this tutorial, we'll deep-dive into the definition and purpose of vision boards, answer your burning questions about them, and help you create your own using Linearity Curve's mood board templates.
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What’s a vision board?
A vision board is a powerful visualization tool to help you define and solidify your goals. It's a great way to physically map out the plans for achieving those goals and give yourself tangible reminders of what you are working towards—a vision of your preferred future.
With a vision board, it becomes easier to focus on creating the life you want—a constant reminder to stop wasting energy on things that don't serve your mission. A well-crafted personal vision board can act as a catalyst to achieving your personal goals, sparking new ideas, and making an inspiration board of potential opportunities.
Creating your vision board doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Making a beautiful vision board should be fun and creative and hopefully kickstart your creative process.
From there, you'll gather motivational materials like a collection of images, inspiring quotes, postcards—anything that’s a visual representation of your dream life—and arrange them into a collage of images onto a digital board.
Using our easy step-by-step guide on the vision board process, you can create a visual reminder of who you want to become and stay focused on the end goal.
5 steps to create a vision board that works
Set your intentions
Before diving into the creative process, define your intentions. Ask yourself, "What do I want to achieve?" Are you aiming for personal growth, career advancement, or a specific project outcome? Clear goals will guide your vision board's content and ensure it serves its purpose effectively.
When considering what matters most, we should begin with self-reflection and figuring out what we really want. Thinking about the one or two areas in our lives that we want to change can be very helpful in discovering what is most important.
“Goals are dreams with deadlines.” ― Diana Scharf
This step will allow us to associate certain words with aspects of our lives that we want to improve. After understanding what these moments signify for us, deciding whether our vision board should represent short-term or long-term goals is important and will help you structure the flow of your board later on.
Having smaller targets along this intended path can be more motivating, breaking big dreams into smaller steps and showing you real-time evidence of your development progress rather than waiting for complex life transformations that may take years to show themselves. It's essential to narrow down precisely what matters most when formulating this plan.
Create a new document in Curve
In Linearity Curve, start a new project, and select the Artboard size that suits your vision board. Remember, the digital format allows for flexibility in layout and design, so feel free to experiment.
We selected a Standard size resolution for good shape and form. You can add a colored background by selecting the Layer in the Layers tab and adding a Fill to it.
We chose a shade of sage green—something calming and uplifting. You can learn more about color theory in this Linearity tutorial on the psychology of color.
Stuck staring at a blank canvas? Need some layout inspiration? Jumpstart your ideas and bring them to life in seconds by exploring the Linearity Curve Templates Hub.
This powerful tool offers a variety of ready-made templates, making the design process easier and more efficient.
Take a look at two presentation templates below that will work great as the base for your vision board design:
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You can make a vision board on paper using scraps of magazine clippings, art supplies, sticky notes, or other craft supplies and pasting them together. It’s like an inspiration wall to build your life on.
But virtual vision boards are easier to keep on hand. With the incredible amount of online resources for gathering motivational material, creating a vision board that tells the story you want to express is now easier than ever. You can take it with you wherever you go with your mobile device.
Jumpstart your ideas with Linearity Curve
Take your designs to the next level.
We'll use Linearity Curve, our intuitive design software, for this tutorial. It's an ideal choice for creating a visually stunning online vision board. With so many easy-to-use, customizable templates full of vision board ideas, you’re already halfway to dreaming up a vision for your future or project.
Check out some Curve templates below to get you started on your vision boarding process.
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Collect your materials and add them to your Artboard
Now, let's get to the fun part—gathering content that resonates with the goals and aspirations you set in Step 1.
Put together all the images, inspirational quotes, and graphics that inspire you and that align with your vision. Consider the overall look and feel of your board at this stage, and do some research on vision board examples.
Make sure the look and feel of your board is cohesive and, above all, inspirational for your daily life.
Navigate to the Library Tab and locate the Unsplash option in the lower right corner. Type your search query in the search bar to find the image you need.
Browse the options and select the image that best suits your vision board.
Click on the image to seamlessly add it to the center of your canvas. You can also drag and drop it to position your image exactly where you want.
Curate and annotate
Place your collected content on the Artboard strategically, establishing a hierarchy and flow of ideas that relate to the priorities and flow of your goals and intentions that we set in Step 1.
Group related elements together and arrange them creatively, taking inspiration from the art of photo collage to place your favorite images.
Don't forget to include annotations or notes alongside your visuals for an effective vision board. Explain why each element is significant to your vision and how it relates to your goals.
This will help you stay focused and motivated as you work towards your objectives. These can also be quotes that reflect the feelings connected to each one of your goals.
Customize and export
Experiment with Linearity Curve's design tools to customize your vision board further. Adjust colors, fonts, and layout to create a cohesive and visually appealing board that reflects your unique style.
Once your online vision board is complete, save it in a format that suits your needs. You can download it for personal use or share it with your team for collaborative inspiration. Linearity Curve makes sharing and collaboration easy.
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In a nutshell
Online vision boards are an excellent way for illustrators, designers, and marketers to stay motivated and focused. Our user-friendly software makes it easy to bring your vision to life.
From over 2,000 inspiring templates, 1 million royalty-free images, and hundreds of tutorials and inspirational blog stories—there’s never been a better or more inspirational base upon which to build your future.
Put your vision board to work today and watch your success soar.
If you haven't tried Linearity Curve yet, remember that it's free for individual users. So, you don't have to worry about entering credit card details upfront.
Jumpstart your ideas with Linearity Curve
Take your designs to the next level.
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of a vision board?
Here are some benefits to the creative process of crafting a well-made vision board:
- Clarity of goals: Vision boards help define your creative goals and aspirations clearly, making it easier to focus on what you want to achieve in your projects.
- Visual inspiration: The visuals on your vision board serve as constant sources of inspiration, sparking new ideas and creative concepts for projects.
- Motivation: By clearly visualizing your desired outcomes, creative designers and illustrators can maintain their motivation and enthusiasm, even during challenging or stagnant periods.
- Increased creativity: Regularly interacting with a vision board can boost creativity by encouraging out-of-the-box thinking and allowing for exploring new ideas.
- Alignment of priorities: A vision board helps creative individuals align their priorities with their long-term artistic or professional goals, ensuring their efforts are directed toward what truly matters.
- Stress reduction: Focusing on a vision board can serve as a stress-relief mechanism - a bit of fun that prioritizes your creativity with a bit of a mental escape and relaxation — a sure-fire way to reignite your creativity.
- Positive mindset: Visualization through a vision board cultivates a positive outlook, which can be particularly beneficial for overcoming creative blocks and self-doubt.
- Goal tracking: A vision board allows creatives to track their progress visually and make necessary adjustments to their plans as they work toward their goals.
- Increased productivity: The clear sense of purpose that comes from a vision board can lead to increased productivity, helping you stay organized and on track.
- Enhanced decision-making: Visualizing what you want helps make informed decisions that align with your goals and creative visions.
- Self-awareness: Creating and maintaining a vision board forces you to look inside yourself and ask what you want, helping you better understand your desires and values.
- Positive reinforcement: Achieving what's on your vision board (and trust us, you will) will make you feel a sense of accomplishment and remind you that you can achieve any goal you set your mind to.
- Networking opportunities: Vision boards can also include images or goals related to networking and connecting with like-minded individuals or mentors within the creative field - so if you're longing for more profound relationships with like-minded people, then make sure to put them on your board.
- Emotional resilience: When times get tough, you can draw strength from your vision boards during setbacks and use them as a reminder of your big ideas' long-term vision and resilience.
- Celebration of your achievements: It's sometimes hard to remember how far you have come, so as the goals you set yourself are achieved, you can celebrate your successes and update your vision boards with new aspirations, creating a continuous cycle of growth and motivation.
- Enhanced collaboration: Sharing vision boards with colleagues or collaborators can foster better communication and alignment of creative visions within a team.
What’s an online vision board, and how does it differ from a traditional one?
An online vision board is a digital representation of your goals and aspirations. It differs from a traditional vision board in that it's created and accessed digitally, often offering more flexibility in terms of design and collaboration.
Why should designers and marketers use Linearity Curve's software for creating vision boards?
Linearity Curve's software is tailored for creatives, offering an intuitive design interface and collaborative features that make it ideal for creating visually stunning and goal-focused vision boards.
What type of content should I include on my vision board as a designer or marketer?
Your vision board content should align with your professional goals. Consider including images, quotes, project inspirations, and even career milestones that inspire and motivate you in your creative journey.
How often should I update my online vision board?
It's a good practice to review and update your vision board periodically, especially when you achieve goals or if your aspirations change. Regular updates ensure that your vision remains relevant and keeps you on track.
Can I share my vision board with others, such as team members or clients?
Yes, many online platforms, including Linearity Curve, allow you to share your vision board with others. Sharing can be beneficial for collaboration, feedback, and aligning your creative vision with stakeholders.
How do vision boards work?
Although it may seem like an easy solution to goal-setting, there’s some science behind how vision boards work. Your unconscious mind picks up on certain symbols and signs that appear often on your board.
These repeated images become imprinted in the subconscious, allowing you to stay motivated by constantly reminding you what you want to accomplish. This increases daily productivity towards actively working towards achieving your goals.
Questions often arise among productivity and creativity experts as to whether vision boards work for helping people achieve what they want in life or whether this is merely a fad.
Keeping away from something that isn't proven in the scientific field beyond a doubt is a good idea. Still, it's important to note that much of the same skepticism applies to many coaching and psychotherapy tools found to work where there's little disagreement over whether they're effective.
Several studies have shown that setting goals improves one's ability to accomplish them. According to one study, 82% of small business owners who used a vision board from the start reported reaching more than half of their goals.
This could make all the difference for creative professionals who rely on visualization techniques to achieve their goals.
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Garreth van Niekerk
One of GQ's 'Young Creatives To Watch' and described as a "Creative Force" by the Sunday Times, author, designer and marketer Garreth van Niekerk is a contributor for Linearity in Johannesburg.
