How to Use Pinterest to Find Your Brand Vibe
By Kelly Dollinger
If you’ve ever said, “I know what I like when I see it, but I just have trouble explaining it,” Pinterest will help.
Used the right way, Pinterest isn’t about copying someone else’s website. It is a tool for spotting patterns in what you are drawn to so you can make yes/no decisions faster, with less second-guessing.
Let’s walk you through a simple process to find your brand vibe using Pinterest. This will help you so much when you are in website prep mode and want to come to build day with clear direction.
What this is (and what it is not)
This is:
- A way to collect visual cues you naturally like
- A way to name your style in plain language
- A way to make your website choices feel aligned
This is not:
- A hunt for the “perfect” brand
- A reason to save 300 pins
- A plan to recreate someone else’s site
Step 1: Start with a clean board
Create a new board called something like:
- Website Vibe
- Brand Vibe
- Website Inspiration
If you already have a board with years of mixed pins, start fresh. You want this board to reflect where you are now.
Guideline: Aim for 30 to 60 pins total. Enough to see patterns, not so many that you get lost.
Step 2: Search broadly (at first)
Instead of searching only “website design,” start with words that match the feeling you want your brand to give.
Try searches like:
- calm brand aesthetic
- cozy minimal design
- warm neutral website
- modern organic branding
- earthy color palette
- editorial website layout
- feminine minimal branding
- spa branding
- therapist branding
- wellness website design
Save anything that gives you a “yes” feeling, even if you cannot explain why yet.
Tip: Save across categories, not just websites. Save packaging, interiors, typography, photography style, and color palettes too. Your brand vibe shows up in more than one format.
Step 3: Pin fast, do not analyze yet
For the first round, do not overthink it. Move quickly.
Ask:
- Do I want to keep looking at this?
- Does this feel like the kind of space I want my business to live in?
If yes, pin it.
If you find yourself hesitating, skip it. Pinterest works best when you trust your first reaction.
Step 4: Do a “pattern scan” (this is the magic part)
Once you have at least 30 pins, stop pinning and start scanning.
Look at your board and ask:
1) What colors show up again and again?
Write down:
- 2 to 4 main colors you see most
- 1 accent color you keep noticing
2) What is the overall mood?
Pick 3 to 5 words. Examples:
- calm
- grounded
- light
- clean
- warm
- fresh
- airy
- cozy
- bold
- high-end
- playful
- earthy
3) What kinds of fonts are showing up?
You do not need to identify specific fonts. Just notice:
- Do you see more serif fonts (classic, editorial)?
- More sans serif fonts (clean, modern)?
- A mix (often feels balanced and approachable)?
4) What layout patterns do you see?
Notice:
- Lots of white space, or more filled-in layouts
- Centered text, or left-aligned text
- Big headlines, or smaller and quieter typography
- Clean grids, or more organic, flowing sections
5) What kind of photos are you drawn to?
Look for:
- bright and airy vs. dark and moody
- candid lifestyle vs. polished studio
- close-up details vs. wide shots
- lots of nature vs. more city or interior settings
Step 5: Name your vibe with one clear sentence
This is what helps Pinterest translate into real decisions.
Use this sentence format:
“My brand vibe is [3 vibe words] with [a few visual specifics].”
Examples:
- “My brand vibe is calm, grounded, and warm with light neutrals, simple layouts, and natural lifestyle photography.”
- “My brand vibe is modern, clean, and confident with high contrast, bold typography, and lots of white space.”
- “My brand vibe is soft, approachable, and cozy with muted colors, rounded shapes, and relaxed images.”
This sentence becomes your filter. If something does not match it, you can let it go.
Step 6: Pull 10 “anchor pins”
Now choose 10 pins that feel the most like “this is it.”
These should be the pins you want your website to feel like, not just random pretty images.
If you can, try to include:
- 2 to 3 website layouts
- 2 typography or brand style examples
- 2 color palette pins
- 2 photography style pins
- 1 “wild card” pin that captures the overall feeling
These anchor pins are what you share with your designer, or what you use as your guide if you are building with support.
Step 7: Turn your board into build-day answers
Pinterest is helpful when it leads to decisions.
Here are a few simple “answers” you can pull from your board:
Colors
- My main palette feels like: [light neutrals / earthy warm / cool and crisp / bold and high contrast]
- My accent color could be: [gold / deep green / clay / navy / soft pink]
Fonts
- My vibe fits: [serif / sans serif / a mix]
- My typography should feel: [soft / crisp / editorial / friendly / modern]
Photos
- My photos should be: [bright / natural / cozy / polished / outdoorsy]
- I want more: [details / faces / spaces / nature]
Overall
- My brand should feel: [three words]
- I want people to think: “This feels [word]” when they land on my site.
Common Pinterest mistakes (so you do not get stuck)
Saving too much. More pins does not mean more clarity. Stop at 60.
Pinning someone else’s exact website. Use it for direction, not duplication.
Only saving one style. Save a range at first, then let patterns narrow it down.
Forgetting your audience. Your vibe should support trust and clarity, not just aesthetics.
Checklist
- Create a fresh Pinterest board
- Pin until you have 30 to 60 pins
- Scan for patterns: colors, mood words, fonts, layouts, photos
- Write one “brand vibe” sentence
- Choose 10 anchor pins
- Pull build-day answers (colors, fonts, photo style, overall feel)
Next step
Open Pinterest and create your fresh board today. Set a 20-minute timer and pin fast. When you hit 30 pins, stop and do the pattern scan.
If you want, you can add your 3 to 5 vibe words and your “brand vibe sentence” at the bottom of this post as you go. That way it is ready when you start making website decisions.
This is part of the One-Day Build prep series. For the full picture of how the process works, read What is a one-day website build?, or go straight to the One-Day Website Build service page to see what’s included.