Mixed media belongs on the same board
Creative direction rarely arrives in a single format. Sometimes it is an image. Sometimes it is a line of text, a sticky note, a video clip, or a reference link you do not want to lose. Reference is becoming more useful precisely because it treats those materials as parts of the same thought instead of separate categories that need separate tools.
More than a static gallery
A good board is rarely just a stack of pretty images. It usually has context around it: a phrase that explains the mood, a note about why something works, a video clip that captures movement, a link that holds onto a source you are not ready to use yet but do not want to forget.
Reference now makes more room for that reality. Quotes, notes, video, and YouTube can sit alongside still images in the same space, which makes the board feel more like an active work surface and less like a gallery wall.
That distinction matters. A gallery is where you admire finished choices. A workspace is where you make them.
Context is part of the reference
When different media types can live together, the board gets better at holding intent. The image is still important, but so is the note beside it. So is the clip that explains the pacing. So is the quote that captures the tone you are after.
In other words, the context stops being something you have to keep in your head. It can live on the board where it belongs, next to the reference that sparked it.