Creating Boards

Learn how to create and organize Pinterest-style boards for your material selections and design concepts.

6 min read

Boards are Pinterest-style collections where you organize materials, inspiration images, and notes for your design projects. Think of them as mood boards, material palettes, or presentation decks—all in one flexible system.

What are Boards?

Boards help you:

  • Organize materials by room, concept, or design phase
  • Create client presentations
  • Compare different design directions ("Option A" vs "Option B")
  • Collaborate with team members in real-time
  • Export finalized selections as PDFs or Excel files

Key features:

  • Unlimited boards per project
  • Nested boards (boards within boards)
  • Visual organization with custom colors
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Notes, tags, and status tracking

Creating Your First Board

Step 1: Navigate to Boards

  1. Open your project from the dashboard
  2. Click "Boards" in the project sidebar
  3. You'll see the Boards page with any existing boards

Step 2: Create a New Board

Click "New Board" or the + button

Fill in board details:

  • Name (required): Descriptive title

    • ✅ Good: "Living Room - Modern Minimalist"
    • ✅ Good: "Client A - Kitchen Finishes"
    • ❌ Vague: "Board 1", "Materials"

  • Description (optional): Brief context or notes

    • Example: "Budget: $25K | Deadline: March 15 | Client prefers warm tones"

  • Color (optional): Visual organization

    • Use colors to group related boards
    • Example: Green = Approved, Yellow = Pending Review, Red = Rejected

Click "Create"

Board Naming Strategies

By Room

Structure: [Space] - [Style/Phase]

Examples:

  • "Living Room - Final Selections"
  • "Master Bedroom - Option 1"
  • "Kitchen - Backsplash Ideas"

Best for: Residential projects with distinct spaces

By Concept

Structure: [Design Direction] - [Description]

Examples:

  • "Modern Coastal - Neutral Palette"
  • "Industrial Chic - Exposed Materials"
  • "Biophilic Design - Natural Textures"

Best for: Exploring multiple design directions

By Phase

Structure: [Phase] - [Content Type]

Examples:

  • "Phase 1 - Material Selections"
  • "Phase 2 - Final Approvals"
  • "Phase 3 - As-Built Documentation"

Best for: Multi-phase projects with clear milestones

By Client Presentation

Structure: [Client Name] - [Date] - [Purpose]

Examples:

  • "Smith Residence - Dec 8 - Initial Concepts"
  • "ABC Corp - Q1 2025 - Office Refresh"

Best for: Multiple revisions or presenting options to clients

Nested Boards

Create boards within boards for complex organization.

When to Use Nested Boards

Scenario 1: Room with Multiple Elements

Living Room (parent board)
├── Flooring Options
├── Wall Finishes
├── Lighting Fixtures
└── Furniture & Decor

Scenario 2: Multiple Design Options

Kitchen Redesign (parent board)
├── Option A - Modern Farmhouse
├── Option B - Contemporary
└── Option C - Transitional

Scenario 3: Design Phases

Smith Residence (parent board)
├── Inspiration & Mood
├── Material Selections
├── Client Approved
└── Final As-Built

Creating Nested Boards

Method 1: Create Inside a Board

  1. Open a board
  2. Click "New Board" (while inside the board)
  3. Board is automatically nested

Method 2: Move Existing Board

  1. Click board settings (⋯ menu)
  2. Select "Move to..."
  3. Choose parent board

Method 3: Drag and Drop

  1. View boards in list view
  2. Drag a board onto another board
  3. Board becomes nested

Organizing Multiple Boards

Using Folders

Boards can be organized in folders (separate from nested boards):

  1. Click "New Folder" in Boards page
  2. Name your folder: e.g., "Client Presentations", "Material Research"
  3. Drag boards into folder

Folders vs. Nested Boards:

  • Folders: Group boards at the project level
  • Nested Boards: Create hierarchy within a specific board

Color Coding System

Use colors to create visual meaning:

By Status:

  • 🟢 Green: Approved/Final
  • 🟡 Yellow: In Review
  • 🔵 Blue: In Progress
  • 🔴 Red: Rejected/On Hold

By Priority:

  • 🔴 Red: Urgent
  • 🟠 Orange: High Priority
  • 🟢 Green: Normal
  • ⚪ Gray: Low Priority

By Category:

  • 🔵 Blue: Finishes
  • 🟣 Purple: Furniture
  • 🟢 Green: Lighting
  • 🟡 Yellow: Accessories

Board Templates

Create reusable board structures for efficiency.

Common Templates

Residential Room Package:

[Room Name]
├── Flooring
├── Wall Finishes
├── Window Treatments
├── Lighting
└── Furniture & Accessories

Commercial Space:

[Space Name]
├── Flooring
├── Wall Systems
├── Ceiling & Lighting
├── Furniture
├── Accessories
└── Specifications

Design Presentation:

[Client Name] - [Date]
├── Inspiration
├── Color Palette
├── Material Selections
├── Mood Board
└── Budget Breakdown

Creating Templates (Workaround)

  1. Create master board structure once
  2. Duplicate when starting new projects
  3. Rename for specific project
  4. Update materials as needed

Feature Request: Native templates coming soon! For now, use the duplicate method.

Board Settings

Access board settings via ⋯ menu:

Available Options

Rename: Update board name or description

Change Color: Update visual organization

Duplicate: Create exact copy (including all materials and notes)

Move: Change parent board or move to different folder

Share: Create guest link for external viewing

Export: Generate PDF or Excel file

Archive: Hide board but keep data

Delete: Permanently remove board (requires confirmation)

Best Practices

1. Name Descriptively

Bad: "Board 1", "New Board", "Materials"

Good: "Living Room - Approved Materials (Dec 8)"

Why: You'll have dozens of boards—make them searchable and identifiable

2. Use Consistent Naming

Pick a structure and stick with it:

  • [Room] - [Phase]
  • [Client] - [Date] - [Purpose]
  • [Project] / [Subboard]

3. Create Early, Archive Later

Philosophy: Make boards for everything, archive when done

Benefits:

  • Capture ideas as they happen
  • Keep exploration separate from finals
  • Maintain history of design decisions

Maintenance: Archive boards quarterly to keep workspace clean

4. Leverage Nesting

Flat structure (harder to navigate):

- Living Room Flooring
- Living Room Walls
- Living Room Lighting
- Kitchen Flooring
- Kitchen Walls

Nested structure (clearer):

Living Room
├── Flooring
├── Walls
└── Lighting
Kitchen
├── Flooring
└── Walls

5. Document as You Go

Add board descriptions with:

  • Budget information
  • Client preferences
  • Project constraints
  • Deadlines

Collaboration Features

Real-Time Updates

When working with team members:

  • Everyone sees changes instantly
  • No need to "save" or "sync"
  • Conflict-free collaboration

Board Permissions

Based on project role:

  • Admin/Creator: Full control (create, edit, delete)
  • Editor: Can add materials, edit notes, create boards
  • Viewer: Read-only access
  • Client: Custom view-only access (via guest link)

(See Team Collaboration for more)

Quick Tips

Keyboard Shortcuts:

  • N: New board (when in Boards view)
  • ⌘D / Ctrl+D: Duplicate selected board
  • ⌘⇧N: New nested board (when inside a board)

Bulk Operations:

  • Select multiple boards (checkbox)
  • Apply actions to all: Move, Archive, Delete
  • Great for end-of-project cleanup

Search Boards:

  • Use search bar in Boards page
  • Finds by board name, description, or materials within

What's Next?

Now that you've created boards, learn how to fill them:

Need help? Chat with us (bottom right) or email support@palett.space.

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