Interior design is graphic art that works to improve and elevate an interior space, intending to create an aesthetically and visually gratifying environment. An interior designer is an individual who makes use of creativity, technical comprehension, and industrial skill to add character to spaces. The term interior design is, most of the time, confused with interior decoration. Many people assume that interior design is all about selecting the curtains, cushions, and chairs to make a space look pretty. An interior designer works towards creating spaces that a dweller could both enjoy and utilize and somehow improve the quality of life. Contrary to that misconception, there is much more to interior designing. The points of difference between the two entities can be easily spotted in an interior design portfolio, which is discussed further.
Interior designing is no longer limited to the theatrical show of well-coordinated furnishings in your home, the primary goal has shifted from creating visual appeal to serving functionality.
It strives to create aesthetically pleasing spaces, but at the same time these spaces present the owner with purposefulness; this is done by studying the behaviour and needs of the people space belongs by using technical solutions.
Interior decoration is the art of making use of ideas and techniques which work in cohesion to elevate the visual aspect of a space or an entity; this usually targets the type, colour, and pattern of a particular entity, while interior designing would consider the nature, usage, sound transference, and acoustic properties to create efficiency and serving a purpose.
Importance of interior design portfolio
Interior design works closely with interior decoration, and hence, the trends keep changing. In order to stay relevant in the industry, it is essential to keep up with the trends and regularly update your portfolio.
Recently, these trends are being highly influenced by online content creators. They have extensive outreach and easily influence the masses.
Many companies are thus reaching out to these online content creators to come up with better marketing agencies.
The interior design portfolio works quite similarly to a resume for a student. It is a compilation of the artwork of an interior designer.
It attracts the target audience, which can be potential clients, employers, and architects looking for collaboration.
An interior designer must have excellent presentation skills so as to present space in the best possible manner.
A strong portfolio is nothing more than how elegantly you exhibit your craft and skills. This is the primary reason for the utmost importance of having an exceptional portfolio.
Benefits of online portfolio
The 21st century has bestowed us with the marvels of globalization, and the world has shrunk. We have the internet at our disposal.
Thus, it is a great idea to have an online interior design portfolio. There are multiple marketing tools available online that you can use to increase your outreach through an online platform.
There are various platforms available online you can choose from to promote your content. It is a great way to interact with potential clients and increase your conversion rate, which will finally provide you with monetary gains.
But you must understand, for all of this to fall in place; your portfolio is an essential aspect. It can prove to be extremely helpful for networking in the community. An online portfolio helps in determining customer reviews. You can also analyze the ever-changing trends and shifts in the industry and act accordingly.
The interior design portfolio needs to be the star of your website. Everything else is secondary. Your collection must showcase your best artworks since this is what clients are first introduced to, and this is what convinces the client to choose you over other interior designers.
So, make sure your portfolio covers all the technical, methodical, and creative aspects to help you in converting a potential customer into a client. If you have a strong portfolio, half the job is done.
Before you start working on your portfolio, make sure that you go through the following list of pointers to avoid any hiccups along the way. Read on to plunge into the details.
1. Do not be generic
The one mistake that most interior designers commit is picking up generic templates that are available online.
Understand that you are not the only person to have access to those generic templates. Being an interior designer, put thought into the portfolio and work with a website designer to come up with one that reflects your ideas.
This will encourage clients to be interested. The average attention period of a human is eight seconds. This is all you’ve got to attract customers.
Play along with themes, narrate a story, keep it real, and make sure that your profile is engaging enough to attract clients.
2. Understand your target audience
Your target audience can vary depending upon your goals. Whether you are looking for a company to hire you, an individual architect to collaborate with, or you are trying to establish yourself as an independent interior designer.
Your portfolio must be according to your target audience. For example, if you are an interior home designer, your profile should have work samples that have home spaces. A home is a very personal aspect of anyone’s life.
The client must feel the warmth and confidence in your work samples to trust you with their home. If you are looking for a job as an interior designer in an organization, you must ensure to showcase your technical skills and the understanding of the craft.
It might seem challenging to portray all of it in a portfolio, but this will surely help you in capturing your target audience and filter out the noise. Add a personal touch to it in order to communicate with your prospect in a better way.
3. Personalization
Make sure you add a personal description at the end of the portfolio. This is quite similar to an “About us” webpage for companies. It may seem futile to you at the moment, but this is where you can shine.
Discuss your past experiences, the work you have done, and the kind of work you strive to deliver. While you are personalizing your portfolio, make sure you keep it crisp, short, and professional.
This will act as not only a manifest of your goals and achievements but also a welcoming gesture for clients.
4. Work samples
Your work samples are the real deal. No matter how optimized your interior design portfolio is, it will serve you no purpose if your work samples are ordinary.
Make sure that you choose the best of the best artworks. You might find it overwhelming to compare your own artworks.
Still, it is of utmost importance that you select the samples on your own as no one else can understand the effort and knowledge implemented in every single project other than you.
5. Improvise
The portfolio is about you, your artworks, and skills. Thus, it is only fair that you get to decide how you want to portray it.
A creative field, like interior design, does restrict you in the constraints of monotony. You are free to improvise as per your views and ideas.
The best way to do so is by following a basic storytelling format that is creative as well as engaging.
But while doing so, make sure they do not entirely deviate from the format of a portfolio, since it might get difficult for clients to understand. Keep it creative yet simple.
6. Online platform
After you are done with the creation of your portfolio, decide the platform on which you will deploy it.
There are different platforms, like WordPress, a visual composer that allows you to create an impressive interior design portfolio.
Make sure you are comfortable working on this platform, and if you are not, opt for a Content Management System (CMS) or hire a website designer to help you.
A unique aspect of interior design is functionality. This is what segregates interior design from interior decoration.
This functionality must not only be reflected in your projects, but also your interior design portfolio.
Different platforms help you in creating a portfolio online, and websites that you check out for inspiration. It is of grave importance that your portfolio reflects your skills and creativity.
Online platforms have made it easy for people to showcase their talents, but at the same time, there is a cut-throat competition.
There are numerous interior designers providing services online; your portfolio must stand out from the crowd.
A strong portfolio manifests the number of projects you get to work on.
Make sure your efforts are in the right direction with your portfolio. Hopefully, the tips suggested in the article will prove in creating an articulate and impressive interior design portfolio.
Related Article: Interior Redesign Guide For Budding Interior Designers
