Mood boards also called inspiration boards help establish the esthetical look and feel of a website. Mood boards are presented after our wire-framing stage and help rapidly prototype the design direction. It helps determine the feel is it metro or grudge, clean or classy, bright or dark.  The mood board help determine font and flavor right up front rather than diving deep into visual design then having to go back are redo entire pages of websites or other print material. It helps get essential feedback before a whole bunch of time is invested in the wrong direction.  Mood boards help give a more tangible idea of how to visualize your new website project or print project.

Also keep in mind moods boards are supposed to speak to your personas as well that you have defined during the persona mapping stage. You are not building your website for your self and what you like but more for what your personas will like and engage. Mood boards help set the design direction moving forward into the full visual design of a website or software build.