Choosing which projects to showcase on their website is one of the most important marketing decisions designers make. Past work is often what makes a potential client reach out (or keep looking). We asked eight designers—Tori Alexander, Ellen Kavanaugh, Stephanie Kraus, Tracy Morris, Veronica Sanders, Lynne Scalo, Alexa Stevenson and Mark Weaver—how they organize their web portfolios, and if they update the selection as they do new work.
timeless highlights
“We try to photograph the type of projects we want more of (like large-scale new builds) and highlight those on our website. But yes, if the project still feels fresh and new, we do keep projects as old as seven years on our website to demonstrate our timeless design.” —Stephanie Kraus, Stephanie Kraus Designs, Philadelphia
nearest and dearest
“My portfolio is organized by most recent projects, though I’ll confess to occasionally falling behind on updating it. I’m typically better at completing projects than at promoting them! Of course, on my website, I have projects that I keep up because they are so dear to me, and I feel like if I have taken the time and money to have them professionally shot, I certainly think they’re worth everybody seeing.” —Alexa Stevenson, Alexa Stevenson Interior Decoration, Athens, Georgia
On message
“My goal was to create categories that I thought were most important to the user. Given the increased need for design while social distancing, my portfolio is arranged to incorporate the two major forms of design: in-home and online. Projects are then arranged by the types of design I do most of, with residential first, then commercial. In either instance, my goal is to keep the color story consistent with my branding so that all images speak in harmony with the love language of my website. I edit it frequently (a few times a month) and keep the projects that speak most to my design aesthetic at the forefront.” —Veronica Sanders, Design With Veronica Sanders, Dallas
Let it grow
“Our portfolio is organized with a nod to an Instagram profile page, with large beautiful pictures that pop out at you like a post on your feed. It seems to me that people are more captivated these days while scrolling through. I currently have every project that we professionally photographed over the last five years on our website. I plan to let the portfolio grow with time, and probably will never delete the older projects, for two reasons: One, it’s always the goal that your work will stand the test of time, and two, each project brings back a multitude of memories we shared together as a team and with our lovely clients (or at least most of them do, anyway).” —Ellen Kavanaugh, Ellen Kavanaugh Interiors, Palm Beach
beloved brainchildren
“I usually don’t put photos up until the project has been published, but editing is a challenging process. My projects are like my children: I love them all equally! And how could I take them down?”—Lynne Scalo, Lynne Scalo Design, Greenwich, Connecticut
Where the heart is
“There are some projects that we will always keep on the site, even if we decide to edit the online portfolio. An example is my former home in Montecito. This project has not only garnered a lot of attention, but also holds a special place in my heart. I lost the home in the mudslide of 2017, but it will always remain a special place for me.” —Mark Weaver, Mark Weaver & Associates, Los Angeles
ducks In a row
“I have my portfolio arranged by our newest to oldest work. I like to keep my website looking extremely clean, and the projects are organized in rows of three. Depending on how many projects I am adding, I may need to remove one or two for the moment to keep the look balanced. I try and keep projects that show the range of styles I have worked on. I want potential clients to be able to see I can lean traditional or modern and create a beautiful design no matter what.” —Tracy Morris, Tracy Morris Design, McLean, Virginia
Less is more
“We try to upload completed projects to our website as soon as the images are available. At this point, we load only a select few images rather than the entire project. We like the website to feel light, crisp and inviting.” —Tori Alexander, Alexander Interiors, Sacramento, California
Homepage photo: A project by Ellen Kavanaugh
