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Interior Designer Portfolio

A strong interior designer portfolio will help you land your next job, regardless of whether you want to earn a salary at an interior design firm or collect fees for your next big independent project. Although new software allows designers to showcase their work using animation and sound, many experienced interior design professionals still rely on a notebook or a binder. Software can glitch and laptops can fail in the middle of an important presentation. Clients and prospective employers prefer simple notebook presentations because they can leaf through the pages at their own pace while you provide narration and, more importantly, conversation about each of the pieces you choose to showcase.

As an alternative, some professionals mount large photos on dark card stock or foam core, pulling them from a portfolio case one at a time. The professionals who use this type of interior designer portfolio prefer technique because it elevates their showmanship while creating an opportunity to discuss how the designer solved a specific problem for their client.

When deciding what projects to include in your interior designer portfolio, keep your audience's needs and wants in mind. For example, if you meet with the principal of a design firm that only handles kitchens and baths, you can leave out your extensive catalog of living room makeovers.

When adding new interior designers to their teams, many experienced professionals prefer to find fresh voices who can express a firm's overall style with some new ingredients. Try not to copy the style of a firm's previous successes - most principals have already moved on to new ideas and would prefer to work with someone who takes some calculated risks than someone who simply rehashes previous work.

Your training and certification process should provide you with many great examples to include in your interior designer portfolio. If, however, you feel you need to create some more strong work to show off to prospective clients or employers, consider some "pro bono" work. Find a friend or a family member for whom you can solve a design problem, or contact a local non-profit organization about performing a makeover on their office space. Not only will you create some great opportunities to beef up your interior designer portfolio, you'll enjoy the benefits of kicking off your career by giving something back to your community.

Start your interior design career today by requesting information from one of our highly respected interior design schools! Find a school near you >>

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