Do you want a polished and professional interior design portfolio but don’t know where to start?
A portfolio is critical to your interior design career since it showcases your skills and experience. A well-crafted portfolio can help you land your dream job or project, but creating one can be daunting.
In this episode, I share tips and tricks that will help you create a portfolio that impresses potential clients and employers. I also explain why it is necessary to create one for your interior design career.
So, if you are unsure what you should include in your portfolio and how to make it look best and stand out, this episode is for you. Listen to this episode so you can start creating your portfolio today!
And, if you need help reviewing & polishing your portfolio, join My Design Mentor.
Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode
- Discover the 4 ways to build a portfolio that will make your work stand out
- Use the portfolio-building tip so you can start creating your portfolio right away
- Learn how the My Design Mentor program can help you polish your portfolio
Check out these episode highlights
01:23 – 4 ways to build a portfolio that will make your work stand out
- WAY #1, If you are coming out of school. Include your projects to show your capability of developing a design and finding design solutions.
- WAY #2, If you have not attended school, and interior design is your second career. Start taking CAD drafting and 3D rendering classes so you can develop floor plans and renderings of some interior spaces which you can show to people. Also, use your home as a template for creating vignettes, scenarios, and redesigns.
PRO TIP: You don’t have to do a whole kitchen remodel, which is quite expensive. You can decorate the house instead and make changes like having a design client. Do it for friends or family and have them volunteer their homes while giving you a budget, so you can go and re-decorate their living room or refresh their kitchen.
- WAY #3, If you’ve worked for someone else but are now starting your own. Ask your previous employer if you can feature any photos of projects you’ve worked on with them, which is an excellent way to show your skills and experience.
PRO TIP: If you want to use work done under your employer’s supervision as a promotion for yourself, you must give credit to the original firm. You can say that you worked on the project as a junior designer while working for them. Your employer may not allow you to use the work for your promotion, as they may use the same images for their clients. But if your employer is supportive, they will let you use the work for your portfolio.
- WAY #4: If you’ve been working for someone else, and you’re going out on your own. Create 3D renderings. Since those photos belong to the original design firm, you can create 3D renderings instead, allowing you to be fully creative without worrying about budget constraints, and is a great way to show your skills and experience in various design styles.
PRO TIP: You can use 3D renderings to create realistic images of your designs, which can impress potential employers. 3D renderings can also show interactive prototypes, which can help potential clients visualize your designs.
03:09 – The pros and cons of working on your own home or the home you grew up in for your portfolio
05:05 – Why it is worth paying a professional to take photos of your home
The better the photography, the better it sells to a client or a prospective employer.
09:47 – The importance of having a portfolio and how the My Design Mentor program can help you create a polished one
11:13 – Bonus Tip for building your portfolio
Next Steps
Grab your freebies:
Join the Design Mentor to kickstart a successful career in interior design!
Check out the best books every interior designer should have here.
Enroll in Business of Design with Kimberly Seldon or DesignYou with Tobi Fairley today to scale your interior design business!
Email me at [email protected] if you have suggested topics
DM me on Instagram at @rwarddesign if you have a burning question
Leave me a rating and review! Click here.
Thanks for listening. I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week…