Two-image design workflow
How to Start a Two-Image Reference Board for a New Design Task
A new project does not need a wall of references on day one. Two images with distinct jobs are often enough to start: one suggests a direction, and the other tests its limits. The archived FloatBoard clip ends with two landscape images on a fresh board. This guide turns that simple setup into a repeatable way to begin a design task, keep sources traceable, and avoid gathering images before you know what decision they serve.
Write a one-sentence brief before opening the board
Choose the immediate design question. For example: What visual direction will make a travel page feel calm without making its call to action disappear? The brief should describe a decision you can make today, not a broad ambition such as “find inspiration.” Put it in the project file or task note so the board has a purpose even after the images change.
Select two roles before selecting two pictures. Image A might express a quiet composition with negative space. Image B might provide a contrasting color or lighting treatment. If both images are simply sunsets you like, they may not help you decide anything. The archived GIF shows two landscape images side by side at the end; it does not tell us the creator's purpose, so the roles below are an illustrative workflow.
For a bug task, the roles could instead be expected state and observed state. Keep the same two-role discipline.
Choose a pair that tests a real alternative
For the travel-page example, suppose the first image has pale sky and a low horizon, leaving space for a headline. The second has a strong purple sunset and foreground flowers, creating emotional impact but competing with text. That pair poses a useful question: should the page prioritize quiet readability or a dramatic visual hook? A third nearly identical sunset would not improve the first decision.
Try to compare images with a similar intended placement. A vertical photograph and a very wide banner can be useful references, but they are not direct candidates for the same crop. Mark that difference in your note. Do not declare a winner by viewing two small tiles; the pair is a starting point for layout experiments.
If you are judging fine detail between actual photos rather than starting a direction, use the full-size Windows comparison workflow.
Record where the two images came from
Before adding either image to the board, save its source page or local file path and a note about rights. If the pictures are web photographs, check who created them and whether your intended use is permitted. A mood study and a published campaign asset have different permission requirements. If they are screenshots you made, name the app state, version and date.
A minimal source note could be: A — cloud scene — [URL or file] — negative space; B — sunset scene — [URL or file] — color energy. Put this in the project record, then add a short copy to a board text card if it helps. The board should not be the only place that remembers source information. Avoid publishing either image just because it appeared in a browser or clipboard.
The browser image-reference guide goes further into attribution and reuse.
Add only the two selected images
Open FloatBoard and position its window beside your design tool, browser or planning document. Add the two chosen images. Arrange the window so the references remain visible without covering the artboard or controls. If the installation offers display settings such as transparency or pinning, choose the setting that keeps the task readable and verify the result in your own environment; labels can differ from those in the July recording.
Do not worry about filling every available tile. Leave space for a concise text card that names the two roles and your next test. A board is most useful when it is legible at a glance. If you cannot tell which source an image represents, return to the project note and label it before proceeding.
The current free plan lists five images per day, five texts per day and one window. A two-image setup fits the idea of a small trial; the archival video and any other older demo should not be used to infer current plan capacity.
Test the pair in the actual layout
Put each image into a copy of the target layout, or sketch its main shapes and color in the artboard if rights or file quality do not permit direct reuse. Add the real headline, button and important content. Review desktop and narrow-screen crops. For Image A, the open sky may support legible text but feel generic. For Image B, the sunset may convey the right mood but demand a solid text panel. Record those observations instead of awarding a subjective “best image” score.
Look at the original files for resolution, compression and relevant detail. A board tile cannot establish whether a candidate will work at banner size. Also check accessibility: text contrast and meaningful alternative text depend on the final composition and purpose, not on the tiny reference view. If neither candidate meets the brief, state why and seek a new direction deliberately.
One task, two roles and a concrete test produce more useful evidence than an expanding collection of loosely related images.
Keep the decision in the project, not only on the board
After the layout test, write a short decision: Use the quiet composition, but create our own illustration with more contrast behind the heading. Link the mockup or test file, and list what must happen next. If you used copyrighted references only for internal study, make sure the final asset is original or properly licensed. If a teammate will continue, the source and decision note should be understandable without opening your desktop app.
Remove the image that no longer helps. Keep the remaining reference visible only while it guides a specific action, such as adjusting spacing or exploring color. When that action is finished, close the board and leave the project record intact. This is a working surface, not a permanent archive.
For a larger set of candidates after the first decision, see the image-reference organization article.
Keep the board honest about what it shows
The GIF is an archived Linux demonstration, recorded against an older FloatBoard landing page. It shows a fresh board, settings and two visible landscape images at the end. It does not show the source licenses, an accessibility test, a completed design, or today's exact controls. The workflow described here adds those checks; they are not actions proven by the recording.
Do not use the two-tile view for precise color matching, pixel comparison or source attribution. Open originals and use the correct design or image tools for those jobs. If your task is collecting hundreds of examples, searchable asset software will likely serve you better than a tiny always-visible window.
The benefit of the two-image board is simple: it keeps a deliberate contrast in sight long enough to make one decision, then gets out of the way.
Questions about starting with two images
Why only two images?
Two images with different roles expose an actual choice. Add a third only when the first pair reveals a new question that a third candidate can answer.
Can I publish an image because it appears in my board?
No. Verify the creator, source and license for the intended use. A temporary reference and a publishable asset are different things.
Is this the same as comparing photos at full size?
No. This workflow starts a design direction with a small visible pair. Inspect original files in a viewer when evaluating sharpness, color or fine detail.
Will the board replace my design brief?
No. Keep the brief, source links, mockups and final decision in the project. The board holds only the references needed for the current step.