The Portfolio that will get you a job | How to make an Interior Design Portfolio

Summary

This video provides valuable tips on creating an impressive interior design portfolio, whether you're a student or a seasoned professional. The host, Mia, shares insights from her five years of experience in the industry, discussing what to include, how to present your work effectively, and what employers are really looking for. She emphasizes the importance of showcasing your skills, personality, and passion, and offers practical advice on tailoring your portfolio to the specific company you're applying to. Mia also mentions available resources, such as a portfolio template on her Etsy shop.

Takeaways

• 📁 Portfolios can be challenging to create, whether you're a student or a professional, as it's crucial to decide what to include, how to present it, and how to make it stand out.
• 🎨 An interior design portfolio should showcase your current and past projects, and demonstrate your style, personality, skills, and what you're passionate about.
• 📐 Employers quickly scroll through portfolios, so it's important to make a strong first impression within the first 10 to 20 seconds.
• 🖌️ While design aesthetics are important, employers often look for a variety of skills such as hand sketching, space planning, technical drawing, and software proficiency in tools like CAD and Revit.
• 🛠️ Knowledge of resources, including furniture suppliers, materials, sustainability, and design theories, is valuable in a portfolio.
• 📚 Presentation and layout are crucial as they reflect how you organize and communicate your ideas effectively.
• 🖼️ Companies understand that candidates, especially those applying for their first job, may not have all the skills, and they often look for individuals who excel in specific areas.
• ✏️ Include as many relevant skills as possible in your portfolio, such as design, technical, drawing, and graphic skills.
• 📄 Keep your portfolio concise, typically around 10 to 20 pages, and focus on showcasing the projects that you're most proud of or that are most relevant to the job you're applying for.
• 🔍 Research the company you're applying to, and tailor your portfolio to align with their style, projects, and the types of clients they work with.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of an interior design portfolio?

The main purpose of an interior design portfolio is to demonstrate your current and previous projects, style, personality, skills, and design aesthetics to potential employers, freelancing clients, or educational institutions.

What are the key skills that companies look for in an interior design portfolio?

Companies look for various design skills such as hand sketching, space planning, elevation and section drawings, software skills like CAD, Revit, Photoshop, and InDesign, knowledge of furniture suppliers and materials, understanding of sustainability and well-being, as well as storytelling and communication skills.

How long do employers typically spend looking at a portfolio?

Employers typically spend only 10 to 20 seconds initially looking at a portfolio, so it is crucial to make a strong first impression with outstanding design and layout.

Why is storytelling important in a portfolio presentation?

Storytelling is important because it helps communicate the concept and narrative behind a project, allowing the viewer to understand the designer's process and the reasoning behind design decisions.

What should you include in your portfolio if you're a student with limited experience?

As a student with limited experience, you should include your final major project or any project you are particularly proud of, demonstrating your design, technical, and graphic skills. It's important to focus on quality over quantity.

How can you tailor your portfolio to be relevant to a specific company?

To tailor your portfolio for a specific company, research the company's projects, style, and clients. Include projects that are most relevant to their work and demonstrate your understanding of their design philosophy and target market.

What is the ideal length for a portfolio, and how many projects should it include?

The ideal length for a portfolio is around 10 to 20 pages. The number of projects depends on your experience, but it's important to include projects you are most proud of and that showcase a range of your skills.

How important are design aesthetics compared to technical skills in a portfolio?

While design aesthetics are important, they are not the sole focus. Employers also value technical skills, presentation, and the ability to tell a story through the design process. Different roles within a company may require different skill sets.

What should you do if you feel you're lacking in certain skills for your portfolio?

If you feel you're lacking in certain skills, focus on polishing the skills you are confident in and highlight the work you are most proud of. It's important to demonstrate your strengths rather than trying to cover up weaknesses.

How can a portfolio template be helpful, and where can you find one?

A portfolio template can help with layout and organization, making it easier to present your work professionally. You can find templates on platforms like Etsy, where designers offer ready-to-use layouts that you can customize with your own drawings and projects.

Outlines

00:00

🎯 Overcoming Portfolio Challenges

Creating a portfolio, whether for the first time as a student or for the fifth time as a professional, can be a daunting task. The process involves deciding what to include, how to present it, and how to make it stand out. In this video, Mia shares tips from her personal experience to help elevate your portfolio, increasing your chances of securing the interior design job you desire.

05:01

📁 What is an Interior Design Portfolio?

An interior design portfolio showcases your current and past projects, serving as a first impression to potential employers, clients, or academic programs. It should not only present your work but also reflect your style, personality, passions, and skills. Mia emphasizes that the portfolio should effectively communicate your design abilities, even though the content might be reviewed very quickly by hiring professionals.

🔍 Key Skills Employers Look For

Employers quickly skim through portfolios, often spending only 10 to 20 seconds per submission. They look for key skills rather than focusing on specific projects. These skills include design aesthetics, technical drawing abilities, software proficiency (e.g., CAD, Revit, Photoshop), knowledge of materials and sustainability, and the ability to present and organize work effectively.

💼 Balancing Strengths and Weaknesses

Mia explains that employers understand no one is perfect, especially for those applying for their first job. It's crucial to focus on and confidently showcase the skills you excel in, whether that be in presentation, technical drawings, or another area. This advice is particularly helpful for applicants who might feel insecure about their abilities in certain aspects, like renderings.

📑 Essential Portfolio Contents

Mia advises including a variety of skills in your portfolio, such as design, technical drawing, and graphic skills. She suggests keeping the portfolio concise, ideally 10 to 20 pages, and to tailor the content to the job you are applying for. For instance, if you're applying to a hospitality design studio, choose projects that reflect that style or include relevant elements like well-being, which the studio might value.

📐 Final Tips for Portfolio Layout

Mia offers a final tip for those struggling with portfolio layout—she provides a template on her Etsy shop that can be easily customized with your own drawings. This resource can be especially useful for those who want a professional layout without starting from scratch. She wraps up the video by encouraging viewers to like the video if they found it helpful and to check out her Etsy shop through the link in her Instagram profile.

Keywords

💡Interior Design Portfolio

An interior design portfolio is a curated collection of a designer's past and current projects, showcasing their style, skills, and design process. The video emphasizes that a portfolio serves as a first impression to potential employers or clients, and should reflect not only the designer's work but also their personality and professional abilities. It is crucial for job applications, freelance opportunities, or further academic pursuits in interior design.

💡Design Skills

Design skills refer to the various abilities that a designer possesses, including hand sketching, space planning, and creating elevation and axonometric drawings. In the context of the video, showcasing a wide range of design skills is important for standing out in a portfolio, as employers look for evidence of a designer's competence in multiple areas of design.

💡Software Skills

Software skills pertain to the proficiency in using specific design software such as CAD, Revit, Photoshop, and InDesign. These skills are crucial for creating technical drawings, renderings, and layouts in a portfolio. The video highlights the importance of demonstrating a variety of software skills, as employers often assess candidates based on their ability to use industry-standard tools effectively.

💡Portfolio Layout

Portfolio layout refers to the way in which a designer organizes and presents their work within their portfolio. A well-structured layout can enhance the readability and visual appeal of the portfolio, making it easier for employers to quickly assess a candidate's skills. The video discusses how the layout should not only be aesthetically pleasing but also clearly communicate the designer's process and storytelling abilities.

💡Storytelling and Communication Skills

Storytelling and communication skills involve the ability to effectively narrate the concept and process behind a design project. In the video, it is noted that these skills are crucial when presenting a portfolio, as they help convey the designer's ideas clearly and persuasively. Employers look for portfolios that not only show design work but also tell a compelling story about the designer's thought process.

💡Design Aesthetics

Design aesthetics refer to the visual appeal and artistic quality of a designer's work. While the video mentions that aesthetics are important, it also emphasizes that employers are often more focused on the designer's skills and the variety of work presented. A portfolio should reflect the designer's taste and style, but it is not the sole factor in securing a job.

💡Relevant Projects

Relevant projects are those that align with the type of work done by the company or client to whom the portfolio is being submitted. The video advises including projects that are most relevant to the job or client being targeted, as this increases the chances of the portfolio resonating with the recipient. For example, applying to a hospitality design studio might require showcasing projects related to restaurant or well-being design.

💡Technical Drawings

Technical drawings are precise, detailed plans or blueprints that communicate the design and structure of a space. These drawings are a key component of an interior design portfolio, demonstrating the designer's ability to translate concepts into functional, buildable designs. The video suggests including various types of technical drawings, such as elevations and sections, to showcase this skill.

💡First Impression

The first impression refers to the initial impact a portfolio has on a potential employer or client. The video stresses that portfolios are often reviewed very quickly, sometimes within 10 to 20 seconds, making it essential that the portfolio immediately captures attention with strong visuals and a clear presentation of skills. The first impression is crucial in determining whether a portfolio will be given further consideration.

💡Experience

Experience in the context of the video refers to the work history and projects a designer has completed, which are showcased in their portfolio. The video notes that for those with limited experience, such as students or recent graduates, it is important to highlight the quality and relevance of their projects rather than quantity. As designers gain more experience, they can include a broader range of work in their portfolios.

Highlights

Making a portfolio can be overwhelming, whether it's your first or fifth time.

The portfolio is crucial for demonstrating your style, personality, skills, and experience to potential employers or clients.

People spend only 10 to 20 seconds looking at your portfolio, so making a strong impression quickly is essential.

Design aesthetics are not the only factor; companies look for a variety of skills, including technical drawings, software proficiency, and knowledge of materials.

Your portfolio layout and storytelling abilities are also key components that employers evaluate.

Companies know that one person won't have all the skills they're looking for, especially if it's your first job.

It's better to showcase the skills you're confident in rather than worrying about areas where you might be weaker.

Include a variety of skills in your portfolio, such as design, technical drawing, and graphic layout abilities.

Keeping the portfolio concise is important; around 10 to 20 pages is recommended.

Select projects that you are most proud of and that are relevant to the job or company you are applying to.

Research the company you're applying to and tailor your portfolio to match their style and project types.

If applying to a specific niche, such as Hospitality design, include projects that align with that focus.

A template for interior design portfolios can be found on the speaker's Etsy Shop, offering an easy way to get started.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of confidence in presenting your best work in your portfolio.

The video concludes with a call to action to like and follow for more helpful tips.

Transcripts

foreign

struggle when it comes to making our

portfolio with things like what to

include how to present it nicely how to

keep it short how to stand out to others

and whether you're a student making your

first portfolio or you're already a

professional and it's your fifth

portfolio the process can be still very

overwhelming

well in today's video I would love to

share some tips that I have learned from

my experience and will definitely take

your portfolio to the next level and

increase your chances of getting the

interior designer job that you dream of

so if this sounds interesting to you

keep on watching

foreign

[Music]

what's up guys it's Mia here and welcome

back to my channel so over the last five

years I have made my portfolio over and

over that gave me the opportunity to

work for these bleeding architecture and

interior design practices and has

definitely taught me how to build a

strong portfolio

so let's start quickly by talking about

what is an interior design portfolio

so portfolio can be used to send to your

future employees a freelancing client or

to apply for your master but essentially

it should demonstrate your current and

previous project and it is for anyone

else who will want to see your work

before agreeing to work with them on

interior design projects

basically you're sending out your

portfolio instead of you showing up and

your portfolio is going to speak for you

and give the first impression so your

portfolio should not only show your

project but your style your personality

how you work what you're passionate

about and most importantly your skills

and I know you might be wondering but

Mia what kind of skills do I need to

present in my portfolio

I've got you we can develop a lot of

skills throughout our education and by

working so let me give you an Insight of

what are the things company is actually

looking for when they look at your

portfolio

so while I was working I've seen my

senior designers or design directors

looking at some of the application that

they received and let me use my

portfolio as an example to show you the

process of how they actually open your

application

so they will probably receive the

portfolio on their inbox they would

download it and open straightaway

and let me show you how fast they would

actually scroll

[Music]

pretty fast eh

so unfortunately people do not spend

more than 10 to 20 seconds looking at

your portfolio and people are looking

for different qualities here so first of

all it's really obvious whether you have

outstanding design whether you're a good

designer Aesthetics whether you've got a

taste that's really important but

actually when people are looking at your

portfolio they don't really care about

your project which is really sad to hear

but they're actually looking for some

other qualities and skills instead

they'll be looking for different kind of

skills in the portfolio

so if they were going through this

portfolio and they caught the eye they

will be probably looking for whether

this person has different kind of design

skills whether that's hand sketching

space planning elevation section

axonometric drawings and then obviously

a different kind of variety of software

skills can she use card can she use

Revit can she use Photoshop InDesign and

then they'll probably also look at the

resources this person has so does she

know different Furniture suppliers

different materials different kind of

theories so does she know about

sustainability well-being and you know

psychology behind it maybe

then actually this is one of the

important thing they will be also

looking at how you present

um your design so the layout how nicely

you put things together is quite

important to them and then lastly it's a

storytelling and communication skills

whether you have kind of put in a right

order to describe your project but this

will basically come once you're

presenting to them and it's about how

you present your story and the concept

behind it

I've also realized that your design

Aesthetics are not that important

actually when the company wants to hire

you there are different roles within the

company especially when they are bigger

companies and they know that one person

is not going to have all of the skills

that they're looking for

so you could be really good at

presenting your work or you could be

really good at technical drawings and

this is especially if you are applying

for your first job the companies would

know that you don't have experience and

you're not perfect so I wouldn't freak

out if you think you are lacking in some

of the skills for example renderings if

you think you're not perfect enough I

would actually polish the skills that

you feel you're good at and show really

confidently about the work that you're

really proud of

[Music]

so to answer some of the questions that

I get asked a lot

um which is what kind of Vital

Information do I need to put in the

portfolio so I would actually put as

much skills as possible from the skills

that I've just mentioned so your design

skills technical skills drawing skills

layout skills graphic skills and so on

another questions that I get asked a lot

is how to keep your portfolio short so

my portfolio is usually around 10 to 20

pages and I think how many projects you

put in is really up to you when I

applied my first job I've only included

my final major project just because that

was the only project I was really proud

of and I didn't have a lot of experience

but within 15 pages that I had I made

sure that I've included like research

visibility page all different types of

drawings elevation space plan acts so

and renders for example and I've

included hand model images visuals and

also like a page about sustainability

and materials just because that was

something that I was really really

passionate about but when I applied for

a big for example I already had a

one-year experience working and I had

also done architectural competition just

to apply for big so I would include all

the projects I have done at work maybe

one project each page and then I've

spent around six pages just for this

competition because that was the project

that I was most proud of at that point

and it was the most relevant one of the

projects that I've done to apply for

architectural practices

so my tips here would be definitely

include your most proud work if you

cannot pick from your project I would

include a project that is most relevant

to the company you're applying for I

would go on their website you know I

would do a lot of research about the

companies and projects that they've done

look at their portfolio and case studies

and learn about the style the drawings

and type of the project and type of the

client that they're working with let's

say you want to apply for a Hospitality

design studio and even if you never

worked on restaurant project maybe you

could show some project that has

cafeterias or bar or the hospitality

Design Studio that you're applying are

very into like well-being let's say then

I would pick the relevant project that

you researched about well-being

and also one last tips here if you're

struggling with your portfolio layout I

have a template on my Etsy Shop which

might become handy

um if you go to my Instagram you can

find my Etsy Shop link from my Instagram

profile if you just click this link it

will take you to the Etsy shop and

basically there is a template for

interior design portfolios and it's

always like ready to swap with your own

drawings and send it out to your future

job straight away and there are

different types of design layouts so

feel free to check out and this will

bring us to the end of the video if you

found this video helpful and useful

please give us a thumbs up it would

really mean a lot to me and thank you

for watching see you on my next video

[Music]