Your reference folder has plenty of images. The direction is still unclear.
OGAD (Off Grid AI Desktop) can help you compare your own photos with a local vision model. Ask about visible colour, shape, light, and composition, then choose the references that express the direction you want. After setup, that analysis can stay on your computer. Assemble the final mood board in your usual design tool.
| Download OGAD | Desktop releases |
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For a photographer, designer, or small creative team, the useful result is a set of references with reasons for including them. You can explain the direction instead of presenting a collage and hoping everyone reads it the same way.
What should the mood board communicate?
Choose the decision the board needs to support. It might establish a lighting approach, a material feel, a photographic composition, or the atmosphere of a campaign. Keep that purpose narrow enough to guide selection.
Suppose you are preparing a photo session for handmade objects. Your own references include workshop details, natural textures, and quiet interior photographs. You want a direction that feels simple and tactile.
A useful board could separate:
| Reference role | What it helps decide |
|---|---|
| Light | Softness, direction, and contrast |
| Composition | Subject placement and empty space |
| Texture | Visible surfaces and material detail |
| Colour direction | Broad relationships to explore |
| Exclusion | An attractive reference that does not fit this project |
The model can describe visible cues. Your judgement determines whether they suit the brief.
What do you need for local image analysis?
Install OGAD and download a compatible local vision model with its required files. A text-only model cannot inspect a photograph just because you attach it. Complete setup and downloads while connected.
The free core desktop app supports vision chat on supported Mac and Windows computers. 0.0.54-beta.108 also provides Linux beta packages. Choose a model that fits the computer’s memory and start with a small set of clear images.
Use your own photos or references you can use for the intended purpose. Keep the originals and label them with neutral filenames so you can match each description to the correct image.
The procedure describes image analysis and written planning. It does not promise an automatic mood-board file, exact colour sampling, or a finished layout inside chat.
How do you describe the first reference?
Select a local vision model in Models, open a new chat, and choose + > Add image. Attach one photo and tell the model which visual properties matter to your brief.
The chat image controls provide the image-input route. The model sees the image you supply; it does not automatically inspect your entire photo library.
Try:
Describe this reference for a handmade-product photo session. Focus on visible light, composition, texture, and broad colour relationships. Separate observation from interpretation. Do not guess camera settings, exact paint colours, the photographer’s intention, or a person’s identity.
Compare the answer with the photo. Correct a misidentified material or object before using that description to guide later decisions.
How do you compare several references?
Review each image with the same questions, then compare the checked descriptions. Keep filenames beside the notes. This avoids losing track of which observation belongs to which reference.
For the handmade-object example, one photograph may contribute lighting while another contributes composition. They do not need to look identical to work together, but you should be able to explain their separate roles.
Ask:
Compare these checked reference notes for the brief. Identify compatible visual choices, important differences, and any image that conflicts with the intended direction. Give a reason using the observed features. Keep suggestions separate from facts about the images.
Inspect the actual references alongside the response. A model’s written comparison cannot replace looking at the images at the size you intend to use them.
How do you make the direction specific?
Turn broad adjectives into visible choices. “Calm” can mean low contrast, generous empty space, restrained colour, or a particular kind of light. Choose the visual cues you want rather than accepting the adjective alone.
Ask the model:
Translate this proposed direction into visible choices supported by the selected references. Explain which reference demonstrates each choice. Mark anything that is a new proposal rather than something visible in the source set.
Review the result against the brief. Do not ask a generative model for exact colour values when the job needs precise sampling. Use a colour picker and the appropriate colour workflow in your design tool for that step.
How do you assemble the board?
Use your normal layout tool to place the selected images. Group references by their role and add a short caption describing what to take from each one.
A caption such as “Use this soft side light; keep the background simpler” is more actionable than “Inspiration.” It tells the team what the reference is there to explain and what should not be copied.
Keep the board readable at its final display size. Remove near-duplicate references if they do not add a distinct point. Leave enough space for the important images to be seen clearly.
OGAD can help draft captions from your checked notes. Copy the approved text into the board yourself, preserving filenames or source links where needed.
How do you review it with someone else?
Ask whether the board communicates the intended choices without a long verbal explanation. If two reviewers interpret an image differently, clarify its caption or replace it.
Use a short review table:
| Question | Useful response |
|---|---|
| What is the main direction? | A specific visual description |
| Which image explains the light? | A clear reference and reason |
| What should not be copied? | A visible boundary in the caption |
| What decision is still open? | A question to resolve before production |
Keep feedback tied to the brief. A personally preferred photo may be less useful than one that clearly explains the agreed direction.
Make one small board you can explain
Download OGAD and analyse a few references with a local vision model. Check the descriptions, choose the visual roles, and assemble a board in your design tool.
Keep processing local after setup. Sharing the board uses your chosen sharing route. The useful outcome is a clearer creative decision, supported by references whose purpose the team can understand.