Since I started designing websites for interior designers, I've spent a lot of time clicking through their portfolios. One site stopped me right away. The layout was gorgeous, and everything flowed so well that I was ready to put the firm at the top of my list.
Then I opened a project. It was beautiful picture after beautiful picture, and I had one question: what happened here?
What did this room look like before? What decisions did the designer make? Did they remove the carpet, hang new wallpaper, or just move a vase?
I was only seeing Z, the finished work. As someone who might hire this designer, I wanted to know they could take my room from A to Z. A little context would have taken that site from great to top tier for me.
Photos show the result, not what you did
A portfolio with no context feels like flipping through images on my phone. I can tell you the rooms are beautiful. I can't tell you what the designer contributed.
That matters because your client is paying for your judgment, not just a nice-looking room. If everything looks beautiful but all you did was move a vase, I can't see the value. If you tell me you changed the layout, chose the materials, and solved a specific problem, now I know what I'd be paying for.
I also don't think people hire an interior designer on looks alone. They talk to other people and compare their options. St. Louis Magazine's hiring guide even suggests interviewing two to four designers and calling their references. When several portfolios are beautiful, your thinking is one of the few things that can set yours apart.
How I'd structure a project page
This doesn't mean turning every project into a blog post. Nobody is going to read that. A few short lines in the right places can tell the whole story, and the photos can still do most of the work.
Start with a three to four line summary
When someone clicks on a project called The Mansion, the first thing they should see is what the project was about: what you were hired to do and what you accomplished. Even if you add no other copy, that summary tells visitors what they're looking at and what you brought to it.
Divide a whole home into three sections at most
Don't try to describe every room. Group the home into main areas, such as:
The living room and sitting area
The kitchen and dining room
The bathrooms
Give each section three to four lines on what changed, then let the photos follow.
Explain the reasoning behind a single room
For a parlor or a bathroom, tell me what happened in that space. Did you change the carpet, move the furniture, or paint? Why did you choose that color palette or replace the sink? I want to see your opinions and experience in the decisions, because that gives me more confidence in hiring you.
You don't need before-and-after photos
Before-and-after photos are an option if a designer wants them, but they aren't what I'm asking for. Most portfolios use finished photos, and you can keep doing that. A short description can explain how the room got there.
Why I wouldn't send every designer the same questions
I could give every designer the same five questions: Why did you choose these colors? What major decisions did you make? What was the room like before? But those would be boring, and some might have nothing to do with how the project actually went.
Instead, I'd start with the goal. If a designer tells me on an intake call that a client wanted a project to feel whimsical or romantic, that tells me what to ask. The designer answers a short list of questions, and I turn those answers into the copy.
What this could look like for a romantic living room
Here's a made-up example. Say a designer tells me a client wanted a dated living room to feel romantic. I'd ask:
What did romantic mean to this client, and what in the old room worked against it? Romantic decor can mean many things, so I'd want the client's version of it.
How did you use the layout to create that feeling? This reveals a decision the finished photo can't explain.
How did you balance the look of the materials with everyday use? A room can't only look romantic on install day. If it's a mess by day five, the design isn't working. Fabrics like linen and velvet can show marks and absorb spills, so I'd want to know how the designer handled that.
What did you do with the lighting? Designer Zoë Feldman treats lighting as being just as important to a room's feeling as its layout or color.
Those answers could become a summary like this:
The owners wanted a living room they'd actually sit in together at night, but the old one was arranged around the TV and lit by a single overhead fixture. We turned the seating toward the fireplace, added dimmable lamps and sconces, and softened the room with layered drapery and a muted palette. The sofa looks like velvet but is a performance fabric, because this room still has to handle two kids and a dog.
That's only three sentences, but now I know the goal, the problem, the decisions, and how the room holds up in real life.
The objections I expect, and how I'd answer them
"My clients value their privacy"
I've heard this one before, and I take it seriously. But most portfolios already show the inside of a client's home with just a project name and no address. Adding a few general lines doesn't change that. I'm asking for expertise details, not intimate ones. You can explain why you moved the sofa without saying anything personal about the people who sit on it.
"I don't have time to write about every project"
You don't have to sit down and figure out what to say. I'd give you a few questions based on that specific project, you'd answer them, and I'd write the copy from there.
"My work speaks for itself"
It does say it's beautiful. But if I'm paying you a lot of money, I also need to know what decisions you're making and what expertise is behind them. People see endless pictures with no context these days, and a few lines can help your work stand out.
Still, my job as a web designer is to give advice, not to put my opinions on your website. It's your website and your business. If you don't want the write-ups, that's your call, but I'd highly recommend them.
Start with one project
You don't need to rewrite your whole portfolio this week. Pick one project you're proud of and write three to four lines on what you were hired to do, what you changed, and why. Then read the page the way a potential client would and ask whether it shows the journey from A to Z, or only Z.
If you'd like help turning your projects into a website that shows how you think, start here.
