Interior design is a dynamic and growing field best for creative individuals who enjoy discovering new ways of transforming spaces. It is a lucrative career if you are passionate about making spaces more functional and appealing. While formal education is not mandatory, education from a renowned institute is ample leverage to get an edge. Some institutes look at the interior design portfolio of each interested student to select the best candidate.

So, if you aspire to study interior design and get your portfolio ready, here is a guide to begin your journey. It includes essential tips and tricks for building an effective and impressive portfolio when you’re just starting from scratch.

What is an Interior Design Portfolio?

An interior design portfolio is a visually – rich brochure showing your work. It helps the viewer answer why they should consider your application for an interior design course. Hence, it should convey your design interest, sense of style, artistic flair and credentials.

A portfolio shows what you have done and can do, reflecting your energy, passion, and professionalism for interior design. Typically, an impressive interior design portfolio layout should have the following:

• An about page that is simple and precise.
• Prior interior design qualification or experience in the field, if any.
• A section outlining what you can bring to the table with your designs.
• Prototypes of your previous projects (if you didn’t work professionally, you can add the interior design of your room or space or, maybe, projects you worked on for friends and family.
• If you didn’t work on live projects, instead of including photographs of finished projects, use sketches and mood boards to demonstrate your future work.

Read this blog to know what else it takes to become a professional interior designer in India.

How to Make Your Interior Design Portfolio Stand Out?

Creating a portfolio that exhibits your design skills may seem overwhelming, especially when starting from scratch and seeking admission. But remember that an interior design portfolio acts as a marketing brochure. Hence, it should scream your personal style and design sensibilities.

Start by asking yourself what it should include and what the admission panel will look for. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

1. Demonstrate Your Most Proud Work

It’s true for any portfolio. You always want people on the panel to see the best of your interior design skills. In an interview, you don’t display everything little thing you’ve done. Highlight your most successful and relevant project to show yourself in the best light.

The admission committee want to see your skills and eye for design. Furthermore, many students apply for interior design courses after 12th, so the panel will want to see your abilities in a snapshot. Hence, try to captivate them and showcase your proudest work!

2. Emphasis on Quality, not Quantity

Adding unnecessary or repetitive projects can ruin your chances. The portfolio should be simple, clean, and captivating. While you may not have multiple projects as a student, limit your portfolio to a maximum of 10-15 pages. Add interior design projects and sketches that showcase your colour, theme, and design sensibilities.

3. Pick a Portfolio Design That Fits Your Style

Several interior design enthusiasts flounder to select an ideal layout to exhibit their work. Your portfolio says a lot about it. So if you want it to stand out, think about that “IT factor” that separates you from the crowd.

What’s unique in your style that you can offer? Once you figure it out, show it with your work and through the composition of your page. Consider choosing a layout that fits your design style. If your design style focuses on minimalism, keep the portfolio layout minimalistic too. It brings more charm and accentuates your work.

Don’t get bogged down about this if you haven’t found your style yet. You’ll learn it during the interior design degree course.

Read about interior design ideas and trends for 2023 to find inspiration.

4. Organise Portfolio in Eye-pleasing Style

Emphasise visual aids such as interior design 2d drawing, photos, 3D views, sketches and hand renderings. Include high-resolution, craftily composed images of your past work or learnings. Showcase your design range with projects in different styles and formats, if any. For example, if you worked on interior design for home or office spaces, include both in your portfolio.

5. Attach Testimonials to Add Credibility

If you don’t have prior experience, don’t worry about it. However, you can get some testimonials from friends and relatives you’ve helped to decorate their homes. When you design a project, regardless of the size of the project, ask people to review your work and write a testimonial.

Testimonials are an excellent way to express your work ethic and outstanding design skills. Don’t let any small or big work go to waste.

Interior Design Portfolio – Wrapping Up

Interior design is thriving, offering a broad scope. But, this scope also attracts far too many people to make a successful career in the industry. As a result, the competition is fierce. For anyone to succeed, it’s crucial to stand out.

You can succeed by getting proper education that helps you learn the skills to attain mastery in the field. That’s why you need the best interior design institute in Bangalore, like JD Institute, to lay a solid foundation for your career.

JD School of Design equips the students to develop a flair for creativity and get hands-on experience. The three-year BSc. in Interior Design and Decoration will help students learn design skills and facilitate holistic development. They also get training in building a professional interior design portfolio that can help showcase their artistic prowess.