From Tumblr to Pinterest to Instagram, the evolution of digital moodboards

Before Pinterest, there were the walls of teenage bedrooms. Carefully cut-out photos from magazines, too-dark Polaroids, a concert ticket — when they were still paper — or a postcard bought at a vacation spot but never sent. Today, inspiration boards have swapped their pushpins for Pinterest pins. Interior decoration, organizing a dinner: everything is an excuse to create a moodboard. But this evolution didn’t happen overnight. In the 2000s, platforms like Tumblr and We Heart It helped popularize the concept of the digital moodboard long before the era of Pinterest pins. Launched in 2007, Tumblr quickly became a digital haven for artists, teens in search of identity, and creatives from all walks of life. It was the time when people shared their visual obsessions, moods, and cultural references, all amplified by a highly customizable interface where background choices, typography, and the famous "reblogs" allowed for the creation of a unique universe. With its numerous features, Tumblr became one of the first spaces for self-expression on the internet. In 2014, rapper G-Eazy even immortalized this aesthetic in Tumblr Girls, a track that captures the vibe of girls with American Apparel trapeze skirts, visible dark circles, and pouty faces, very much present on the platform.

Less famous but still powerful, We Heart It — which had up to 30 million users, mostly young girls — offered a system of "thematic collections" that allowed users to archive their inspirations in a virtual image notebook. More minimalist than Tumblr, the platform was entirely based on visual curation, with no major textual or social dimension. Yet, it foreshadowed what would become a standard: the era of the digital moodboard. In 2010, Pinterest took over by pushing this curation logic even further. By adopting the idea of "collections," renamed here as "boards," the platform perfected the search and image organization interface. That same year, Instagram was born, with its famous profile grid and Polaroid-like filters. Unlike Pinterest and Tumblr, Instagram encouraged users to produce their own images with the integrated camera. No more reblogging; now, we capture — our latte, our outfit, or our reflection in a shop window. It marked the rise of styled everyday life and meticulously crafted selfies. A real turning point occurred at the end of the 2010s when brands began to realize Instagram's potential. These were the beginnings of the influencer era, which we are still living in today. Today, profiles approached by brands are incredibly varied: from micro-influencers (under 50k followers) to trendsetters followed by millions, and even UGC (User Generated Content) influencers. The platform is filled with personalities eager to stand out — but never too much, as they must always follow trends.

The ultimate weapon for collaborating with the biggest brands? A meticulously curated feed (the new way to refer to the profile grid), a polished showcase that sometimes gives the impression of spontaneous improvisation, when it’s actually the result of a very precise strategy. To succeed on a platform like Instagram today — whether you’re a brand or showcasing yourself — it’s necessary to orchestrate your image, especially in an age where users are constantly searching for inspiration. Fashion houses like Jacquemus or Miu Miu have fully grasped this: their Instagram accounts resemble true moodboards. Between behind-the-scenes glimpses, personal archives, details of objects, close-ups of materials, or everyday gestures, these brands create an aesthetic that is both accessible and singular. Their ultimate common point: they enjoy blurring the lines between official campaigns and daily inspirations. Heaven by Marc Jacobs, Diesel, and Paloma Wool also mix their own content with archive images, retro visuals, or movie stills. This curation aesthetic allows them to exist beyond the product: we no longer just buy a piece of clothing, we adopt a universe, a way of being, a visual culture.

But as everyone starts to inspire each other, moodboards sometimes end up looking the same. The same color palette, the same vintage grain, the same silhouettes. Where platforms like Tumblr, We Heart It, or early Instagram were once personal expression grounds, they are now leaning toward a visual homogenization. The moodboard has become an aesthetic standard, almost a filter in itself. This standardization raises many questions, including: if everyone shares the same images, what remains of individuality? As algorithms favor similar content and users conform to what works, the risk is high that the diversity of perspectives will fade. Yet, it is in these unexpected details, personal associations, and visual breaks that lies not just the essence of a successful moodboard but our entire individuality. Perhaps after pinning everything online, we’ll end up pulling out the pushpins to redecorate the walls of our... adult bedrooms.