Creating an Interior Design Portfolio Online | Spoak (2024)

Are you hoping to catch the eye of your favorite design firm or win a bid on your dream interior design project? We’ve all been there before. The trick to achieving this is to create an interior design portfolio that makes you stand out from the crowd and showcases your design skills.

If you need some help getting started, you’re not alone (and there’s no need to feel embarrassed). In fact, one of the top questions we get from our community is how to build a design portfolio! The good news is this can all be created online with ease — and it’s a pretty fun process, if you ask us.

What Should Be in Your Interior Design Portfolio?

1. Mood Boards That Showcase Your Design Skills

Every interior designer has their own distinct design style and creative process — that’s what makes you as a designer uniquely you! Mood boards reveal your creative interpretation of a space and invite the viewer inside your thought process. They will learn more about you via your personal design inspiration and the feelings you are trying to evoke through your work and gain a better sense of your design style.

Mood boards are extra helpful to anyone who is still an interior design student or has not yet had the chance to complete many “real” design projects. Part of the beauty of mood boards is that you can create one for anything (real or not) and still show your creative genius. Showing you’re adept at blending colors and patterns and combining furniture and architectural styles gives a client more confidence in your abilities as a designer.

The next time you meet with a client or assemble an online portfolio, display a variety of mood boards. If they see their personal style mirrored in one of your mood boards, they may be more apt to hire you.

Creating an Interior Design Portfolio Online | Spoak (1)

2. Photos or Renderings of Your Completed Interior Design Projects

Of course, the obvious thing to place in your interior design portfolio is the actual interior design projects you have completed. If you don’t have a client project under your belt yet, use your home as your canvas and have fun styling things! Show your 2D or 3D renderings of spaces and layouts, along with photos of the completed job. Pro-Tip: Any projects created in Spoak can be shared easily from your project dashboard, making it a seamless one-click (literally) process.

If you want to go the extra mile, hire a professional photographer to document your completed spaces and show your work at its best. If you are not at a place where you feel that’s necessary (sometimes it’s not!), take matters into your own hands and shoot quality photos of your projects to demonstrate your design skills. Professional-looking photography can be done with your phone and uploaded into your Spoak account instantly.

3. Room Mock-Ups and Floor Plans You’ve Created for Different Living Spaces

Whether you have lots of previous design work experience or not, you can always add room mock-ups and floor plan layouts to your portfolio for projects that don’t even exist. Your future client will appreciate seeing a sneak peek of how you work before they hire you.

How to put it into practice: We recommend including some particularly challenging scenarios to show clients you have an understanding of space planning. Pose an awkward living room floor plan dilemma and let your solution highlight your problem-solving skills. Don’t forget to show the different areas of design you are interested in, like residential or commercial (or both— the more, the merrier!).

4. Anything You Consider Your Best Work

Maybe this should go without saying, but be sure to include your best interior design work in your portfolio. If you have an extensive list of finished projects, try to just add the very best of them to show your design abilities. Although we know it can be tempting to add everything in, you don’t want to overwhelm anyone looking at your portfolio. Kill your darlings, as some would say!

Placing your best work at the front of your portfolio will grab a prospective client’s attention as quickly as possible. You may only have a few moments in which they peruse your work to get their attention.

How Do You Create an Online Interior Design Portfolio?

Creating a digital portfolio can seem daunting, especially if you have never created a webpage before. Don’t sweat this; there are lots of tools that can make this a smooth, simple process. We all have to start somewhere!

Start With a Template or Portfolio Example

First, gather some inspiration and look at other designers’ portfolios to get an idea of what you like and what portfolio styles are possible. There are plenty of templates available online, or you can choose to make something from scratch. As you narrow down your decision, don’t feel locked into one “type” of template. There are no rules! Experiment with your portfolio until you feel that it’s at its best.

For instance, during your search, you might find that templates created for an architecture portfolio might appeal to you with their clean, simple lines and abundance of negative space. Architectural work is very different from the work of interior designers and interior decorators, though. Make sure you find portfolios that can accommodate the type of work you’re showcasing and tell the best story.

Also, keep in mind that a more minimalist portfolio design is often easier for a prospective client to digest and consider — but rules are meant to be broken, so don’t feel the need to keep everything minimal. Create a portfolio that speaks to your style and the type of design gigs you’ll want to get hired for.

Experiment With Your Portfolio Layout

With legibility in mind, choose a clear and professional font, and keep comments on your mock-ups or graphics pared down so your work can speak for itself.

Choosing a page size that allows plenty of space for graphics to “breathe” and be showcased means you can’t go too small. Many designers choose an 8.5 x 11” page size because it is universal among templates and can easily be translated into a printed portfolio: You never know when you will need one!

Add an “About Me” Section to Your Digital Portfolio

Your work should speak for itself, but if it doesn’t tell your audience more in your “About Me” section! An “About Me” section can include more relevant information about your prior studies at an interior design school and previous work experience, but it is also an excellent opportunity to describe your unique interior design style or (bonus) share testimonials from past clients.

Take it a step further and share more of your personality through other artistic interests you may have. Do you have a hobby like garment-making, watercolor portraiture, or woodworking? Including copies or photos of your personal pursuits could round out a prospective client’s understanding of your style and artistry. Don’t be shy!

Publish Your Online Portfolio on Social Media

You may have mixed feelings about social media apps (who doesn’t?), but all types of businesses now use them as an extension of their portfolio. Make yours shine by curating your feed with images of your finished projects. Include photos and captions that briefly show your unique process, like mood boards and rough mock-ups you did (or didn’t) eventually use.

Keep it real with images from your personal life that show you are relatable: outings, family life, inspiring street life, or landscape photos. Keep things positive and somewhat professional because if they are interested enough to go to your social media, this may be the place where you seal the deal.

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Reach Potential Clients by Creating a Portfolio Website

Since you’ve already taken the time to create a digital portfolio, it only makes sense to have a website that potential clients or employers can go to for your portfolio and more information about your services.

You can do this by setting your WordPress site up with a web host or joining a directory site and setting up your own page. However, WordPress is sometimes difficult to use. While you don’t technically need to know how to code, knowing coding languages HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more is often recommended. This option could be too complex, depending on what you are looking for.

We’ll cut to the chase and give you the easiest (and our preferred) method for creating a portfolio website: Spoak’s interior design portfolio tool, which is built into the software for all members to use. The template style is pretty straightforward, but you can tailor it to your branding and put your own flair on it with a logo and custom colors.

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Your website will link to everything from your previous work, mood boards, and completed projects to your personal information. Since your business and design tools are also on the same site, it is a one-stop shop for everything about your interior design business — no coding knowledge is required.

Whatever site you choose, include testimonials of past clients (even ones where you offered your services for free) if you are pleased with the results. The fact that you have satisfied clients speaks volumes about your ability to listen, communicate, and create the design that meets their needs. Hats off to you!

Show Off Your Design Skills With a High-Quality Portfolio

Feeling ready to make a portfolio that is a cut above the rest? Start by organizing your mock-ups, mood boards, and photos in one place.

The design suite and business tools that come with your Spoak membership allow you to instantly move projects and renderings into your portfolio page, with the ability to easily rotate in new projects and add testimonials to your page description.

Photo Credit:(Left)Designer Oasis

Sources:

Nine Advantages Of Developing Your Own Professional Portfolio | Forbes

How to Create a Portfolio When You're Just Starting Out | Architectural Digest

For Financial Advisors, Social Media Needs To Be Part Of Their Portfolio | Investors

Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

Introduction

As an expert in interior design, I can provide you with valuable insights on how to create an impressive interior design portfolio. I have extensive knowledge and experience in the field, and I can guide you through the process of showcasing your design skills effectively. Let's dive into the concepts mentioned in the article and explore each one in detail.

Mood Boards That Showcase Your Design Skills

Mood boards are an essential component of an interior design portfolio. They reveal your creative interpretation of a space and provide insight into your design style and thought process. By showcasing your personal design inspiration and the emotions you aim to evoke through your work, you give potential clients a better understanding of your unique approach [[1]].

Mood boards are particularly helpful for interior design students or those with limited real-world design projects. They allow you to demonstrate your creativity and ability to blend colors, patterns, furniture, and architectural styles. When meeting with clients or assembling your online portfolio, include a variety of mood boards to cater to different tastes and preferences [[1]].

Photos or Renderings of Your Completed Interior Design Projects

Including photos or renderings of your completed interior design projects is crucial for showcasing your skills and expertise. If you have previous client projects, feature them prominently in your portfolio. If you don't have client projects yet, you can use your own home as a canvas and create stunning designs to showcase your abilities [[2]].

To present your work at its best, consider hiring a professional photographer to capture high-quality images of your completed spaces. However, if that's not feasible, you can still achieve professional-looking photography using your phone and uploading the images to your portfolio [[2]].

Room Mock-Ups and Floor Plans

Even if you don't have extensive design work experience, you can include room mock-ups and floor plan layouts in your portfolio. These additions provide potential clients with a glimpse into your problem-solving skills and your understanding of space planning [[3]].

Consider including challenging scenarios to demonstrate your versatility and expertise. For example, showcase your ability to solve an awkward living room floor plan dilemma and highlight the different areas of design you are interested in, such as residential or commercial spaces [[3]].

Including Your Best Work

When creating your interior design portfolio, it's important to include your best work. Instead of overwhelming viewers with an extensive list of projects, focus on showcasing a select few that truly represent your design abilities. By curating your portfolio and including only your strongest work, you can quickly grab the attention of prospective clients [[4]].

Creating an Online Interior Design Portfolio

Creating a digital portfolio may seem daunting, but there are tools available to simplify the process. Start by gathering inspiration from other designers' portfolios and exploring different templates. Experiment with different layouts and designs until you find one that best represents your style and the type of design projects you want to be hired for [[5]].

When choosing a template, consider legibility and professionalism. Opt for a clear font and keep comments on mock-ups or graphics concise to allow your work to speak for itself. Additionally, select a page size that provides ample space for graphics to be showcased effectively [[5]].

Including an "About Me" section in your digital portfolio is essential. Use this section to provide relevant information about your interior design education, work experience, and unique design style. You can also include testimonials from past clients and share other artistic interests or hobbies that reflect your personality and style [[5]].

Publishing your portfolio on social media platforms can further enhance your visibility and reach potential clients. Curate your feed with images of your finished projects, including mood boards and rough mock-ups that showcase your creative process. Additionally, share glimpses of your personal life to make your portfolio relatable and engaging [[5]].

To establish a professional online presence, consider creating a portfolio website. There are various options available, including setting up a WordPress site with a web host or joining a directory site. Alternatively, you can use specialized interior design portfolio tools like Spoak, which offers a straightforward template that can be customized to match your branding and style. These tools eliminate the need for coding knowledge and provide a comprehensive platform for showcasing your work and services [[5]].

Conclusion

By following these guidelines and incorporating the concepts mentioned in the article, you can create an impressive interior design portfolio that sets you apart from the competition. Remember to showcase your unique design style, highlight your best work, and provide potential clients with a comprehensive understanding of your skills and expertise. Good luck with your portfolio creation!

Creating an Interior Design Portfolio Online | Spoak (2024)
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