In today's competitive business environment, to achieve success in the field of architectural design, it is important to present your references and work experience effectively. References and work experiences are important elements that help potential clients and employers evaluate you. Therefore, displaying this information accurately on your website or portfolio is a critical step in increasing your success.
1. Background
You should definitely include a section at the beginning of your portfolio that introduces you and explains your background. In this section, show schematically your previous trainings, internships, work experiences and general experiences. In this way, you can arouse the interest of the person you are addressing by providing a strong and quick first impression of your references and experiences.
Reference: behance.net Calixto de la Torre
2.Display References Prominently
It is very important to indicate the references of your architectural projects during the project narrative and reflect the role you have undertaken in the project. This section should enable your potential customers to quickly evaluate your projects. Provide references along with the name of the project and a brief description of the project.
3.Share Project Details
It is not enough to just present the name and image of your references. Provide a description of each project that includes detailed information such as design goals, client demands, materials used, and results. Your potential clients will be interested in this information that will help them understand what kind of skills and abilities your projects require.
4.Highlight the Industries You Work in
Highlighting the sectors in which you specialize in architectural design may become more attractive to your target audience. For example, if you specialize in residential projects, highlight your work and achievements in this field. Likewise, if you specialize in commercial, industrial or cultural projects, highlight those experiences.
Reference: behance.net Hüseyin Palantöken
5.Get References from Business Partners and Employers
If possible, get references from your business partners and employers and include them in your portfolio. The trustworthiness of your business partners or employers will be important to those who want to learn more about you. Customer testimonials can be similarly valuable, so request testimonials from clients who have worked on successful projects and post them on your website. Make sure your references are as diverse and up-to-date as possible.
6.Sort Work Experiences by Project Phases
When presenting your work experiences, organizing your projects by phase will help your readers understand the process. For example, list projects with different phases separately, such as design phase, construction phase, and completed projects. For each phase, include brief descriptions describing the details, goals, and achievements of the project.
Reference: Ceren Taşkıran
7.SShow That You Can Take Responsibility
Having information about an event you have previously organized (date, place, organization, type of event, etc.) in your history shows that you can take responsibility and have management ability.
8. Show That You Are Suitable for Teamwork
The architectural design process proceeds collectively and therefore it is important to be compatible with teamwork. You can present workshops and competitions you have attended before to show employers that you are suitable for teamwork. Even if you do not present it visually, it will be enough to provide information about it in your history.
9. Show that You're Active
If you constantly think about architecture and follow the current agenda, be sure to reflect this. Having the workshops, talks and competitions you attended in your history will attract people's attention.
As Tifa Studio, in this article, we examined how we can present our references and experiences in our portfolio. We hope this blog has been a good resource for your portfolio. Stay tuned to our blogs and tutorials for more information on portfolio design!