Seven Tips for Maximizing the Presentation of Your Design Work on Dering Hall

The Dering Hall Lookbook is one of the most visited areas of the site, showcasing the incredible talents of our members. It's the place where visitors find inspiration and seek out professionals for their next projects and where many of our editorial ideas are sourced from. Below are seven tips to consider when presenting your design work online.

1. Choose the Best Quality Images

Design: JMA Interior Design

Make sure to choose the best visuals of your work. This means that the images should be crisp and clear and not blurry. They should be hi-res and ideally shot with a professional camera. 

2. Make Sure Your Images Are the Correct Size

Design: LKID
Photography: Gibeon Photography

For your Dering Hall portfolio, all images should be a minimum of 1,400 pixels on their shortest side. Files should be in JPG, PNG, or TIFF format and no larger than 10 MB.

3. Avoid Extreme Angles

Design: Fearins | Welch Interior Design
Photography: Rachael Stollar

Direct framing of a room or design detail is the best way to present your work digitally. Extreme angles or a fisheye lens make your designs appear distorted and are distracting. If there is an additional perspective of the space that you would like to provide, take another photo.

4. Choose a Variety of Images That Showcase Your Work

Designs: Workshop/APD
Photography: Donna Dotan Photography

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.

5. Make Sure There Aren’t Any People or Unnecessary Distractions in Your Photos

Design: Jeff Schlarb Design Studio

Try to avoid photographs that include people or elements that take away from the design. You want to present an uncluttered view of your work. Images with people will not be eligible to be included in Dering Hall editorial.

6. Avoid Posting Renderings / In Progress Photos or Anything Other Than Finished Work

Design: S.B. Long Interiors

Dering Hall’s Lookbook is a source of inspiration for readers and prospective clients, so make sure to only upload images of completed projects to your portfolio. Renderings, in progress photos, or press and other promotional materials should not be included in the portfolio and will not be eligible for Dering Hall editorial. 

7. Avoid Watermarking

Design: Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Photography: Eric Piasecki Photograpy

Watermarks are distracting to users of the Lookbook and editorial readers. If you feel like you must watermark your images, choose a watermark that is subtle so as not to cover up too much of the image. Images with watermarks are less likely to be chosen for inclusion in Dering Hall editorial. 

Be sure to check out the Dering Hall Lookbook for more examples of incredible designs from Dering Hall members.