If you've ever had the chance to work with a graphic designer, you've likely encountered a "moodboard," a collection of inspirational images, textures, colors, and words designed to convey an thematic setting for a design. They're a very effective means of communicating intended feelings. Unfortunately, moodboards are usually exactly that: boards. And that makes them difficult to share.

With Image Spark, the traditional moodboard becomes something much easier to share. Image Spark allows users to create Web-based moodboards, built from collections of images they find online. Then, they can share those boards with colleagues and clients - or simply keep them as a reference point for future inspiration.

Now, why wouldn't Flickr or Skitch suffice? For pure image capture, you're going to find Image Spark very similar to other image services. What makes it different is the "moodboard" functionality. Unlike other services that gather images but limit the display options, the only thing limiting Image Spark moodboards is the user's imagination.

Want one image to dominate? Need to overlay several images to create the right effect? Just looking to break out of the traditional grid arrangement? Image Spark will allow you to arrange your moodboard however you would like. Resize images, shuffle them around, overlap them. Do whatever you need to do to effect the appropriate mood.

The service is easy to use. Simply install the Firefox plugin and begin right-clicking on images you find inspirational. Tag them with keywords or phrases and they'll be added to your library. If you're not finding anything inspirational, you can visit the Image Spark community and add other users' finds to your library.

Once you've gathered images, you can visit the site to begin composing a moodboard by dragging and dropping images on the moodboard canvas. Moodboards can be displayed publicly for sharing or they can be marked private.

Even if you're not creating moodboards, Image Spark is still a resource for inspiration. Why? You'll also find a community of Image Spark users sharing both images and moodboards that are sure to spark some ideas.

Image Spark is free. Currently, users are limited to two moodboards and 1GB of space. To begin assembling your moodboards, visit Image Spark.

Moodboard image courtesy of Image Spark user "Samuel."