How to Make an Interior Design Portfolio

Your portfolio is an essential tool for advancing your career as an interior designer. It contains examples of your work and is a visual representation of your accomplishments and abilities. In many cases, your interior design portfolio is more important than your resume because it gives your clients an idea of the style and quality of your work. A professional and organized portfolio will set you apart from other interior designers and will demonstrate why you are qualified to work for the client.

Instructions

1

Choose a portfolio case to display your work. Your interior design portfolio should be professional looking and easy to use, so don't skimp on this part. Look for a case that can hold 8 1/2" x 10" or 11" x 17" removable pages. You can get a larger case, but it will be harder to carry and show to clients.

2

Select five to seven projects that showcase your qualifications as an interior designer. These projects should be the best of your work and demonstrate a wide range of abilities. If possible, customize your choices for each client.

3

Compile information, diagrams and picture for each project. Make sure you include floor plans, conceptual drawings, materials used, and before and after pictures. Include technical drawings that demonstrate your ability to use industry tools such as AutoCAD.

4

Create several pages for each project that show how the project progressed from beginning to end. Arrange the diagrams and pictures on the pages so that they are organized and easy to understand. Mount each piece on complementary backing paper and attach them to heavy paper with adhesive. Alternately, you can create these pages in a graphics design program and print them out onto heavy paper.

5

Add information about when and where the project was completed, any challenges you successfully overcame and other pertinent details. Describe the inspiration and thought process behind the project. The pictures should be the main focus, so keep the text concise and to a minimum.

6

At the beginning of your interior design portfolio, include an introduction that describes your education, qualifications and design philosophy. Include information about your skills, specialties and the software you are able to use.

7

Include resumes and business cards in your interior design portfolio to leave with potential employers. You may also want to have a brochure highlighting your work and accomplishments that you can leave behind.

8

Update your portfolio as you progress in your interior design career and learn new skills. Exchange older projects with recent ones regularly so that your portfolio stays fresh. Clients don't want to see what you did a few years ago, they want to see what you can do now.