Dering Hall is in the process of upgrading our search functionality, making it easier for members to be found on the site.  In preperation, now is a great time to revisit the descriptions of your portfolio images to make sure your portfoilio is as searchable and eye-catching as possible.  

Here are 5 Best Practices:

1. Upload the Best Quality Imagery

Showcase your design work in the best way possible with high-quality imagery. Images in your profile should be crisp and clear and not blurry. They should be hi-res and ideally shot with a professional camera. Direct framing of a room or design detail is best. We recommend avoiding photos with extreme angles or a fisheye lens, which make your designs appear distorted. For your Dering Hall portfolio, all images should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels. Files should be in JPG or PNG format and no larger than 10 MB.

2. Add Descriptive Captions for Your Images

When you are adding a caption for your images, make sure to include relevant details about the design, including location and style along and key products and design features. A robust caption makes your image more searchable on Dering Hall.  It is the difference between "Bedroom" and "Gold Coast Master Bed & Bath Separated by Sliding Panels."  The more detail, the better.

3. Categorize Your Images With the Correct Room & Style Type

To ensure that your images appear in the appropriate sections of the lookbook, make sure that you have chosen a room and style type that accurately describes your image. Incorrectly categorizing images means that they may be missed during lookbook searches. Please do not over-categorize images in an effort to increase the places where they will appear, this will just frustrate users. The image above is correctly catergorized as a "Staircase," "Rustic," and "American."

4. Upload New Images & Projects

As you complete projects, upload the imagery to your profile. The more imagery you have, the greater opportunity you have to be found by visitors to the site and featured in editorial. This will also ensure that your profile is fresh and up-to-date. The image above is a Master Bedroom vignette designed by Elena Calabrese in a Mill Valley, California, home completed in June 2016.

5. Choose a Variety of Images That Showcase Your Work

There's no limit to the number of images you can add to your portfolio. Make sure to include multiple projects and the rooms within those projects to present the fullest picture of your design aesthetic. It’s best to include both full room shots and close-up images of vignettes and design details.