An interior design presentation is one of the most exciting, rewarding moments of the entire project process.
You get to show off your vision and help your client imagine the final transformation.
Done right, the presentation can inspire both you and your client so everyone’s cup is full for the challenging work ahead. A great presentation can also instill confidence in your client. When they trust you completely, they’ll be easier to work with during the renovation and installation process.
Needless to say, there’s a lot at stake!
So…how can you rock your interior design presentations?
Keep reading for helpful examples, a how-to tutorial, and 23 pro tips.
For all the best interior design tools and resources, learn more about DesignFiles.
Table of Contents
What is an interior design presentation and when does it take place?
An interior design presentation is when a designer shows their client the specific vision and plan for the design project. A good designer will use a variety of content formats during the presentation to really bring the design to life: 3D renderings, moodboards, floor plans, and sometimes artistic sketches.
The design presentation typically occurs after the client is already under contract with the designer. Many interior designers offer a free short discovery call, then they offer a paid consultation. After the client pays a flat-rate design fee or an installment of the estimated hours, the designer gets to work on crafting the design. Then, they present that design to the client.
How to create an interior design presentation
To create your own interior design presentation, you need to add your room designs to a PDF slide show, which you can then send to your client or present during a live Zoom meeting or in-person meeting.
If you’re using DesignFiles, head over to the dashboard and open up the client project. Create a new presentation and select which designs you want to include, such as the designboard, floor plan, and 3D renderings.
You might also want to include a product list, so your client can see all of the products in more detail.
Watch this video tutorial to see the process in action:
23 tips for creating killer interior design presentations for your clients
Follow these smart tips to create a stunning interior design presentation.
1. Include 3D renderings from multiple room angles
3D renderings help bring your designs to life, so clients can imagine what their space will look like. Try shifting the design around and saving JPG images of the 3D room design from different angles, such as doorways or high-traffic areas.
2. Create stylized moodboards
Most vendors don’t have 3D models of their entire collection, so when you’re creating 3D renderings, you have to use similar-looking products and adjust the scale and color as best you can.
With moodboards, you can include all of the exact products you’re recommending for the design. This way, your clients gets a sense of the overall room layout and can also see the exact products in more detail.
Moodboards also allow you to share your design plan without worrying about scale. Feature small details and textures in larger-than-life photos to help clients understand the feelings and emotions you’re going for.
You can also create full room moodboards with all of the room details to scale, like this example:
3. Generate a floor plan
Floor plans are the key to a well-designed space.
They play a crucial role in establishing the scale and proportion that works for your client’s space. They also provide a way to visualize how people will move through the space and help you identify potential challenges before you even begin the sourcing process.
Watch our step-by-step tutorial on creating a floor plan for your design.
4. Be ready to communicate your design choices
The images will speak for themselves. That said, clients love getting to peek inside your brain to know why you made the choices that you did.
So prepare a little pitch that will set the tone for your presentation. For example, you might kick things off by saying, “I know you wanted a luxurious but cozy living room that would help you relax and unwind while still being liveable and durable for your kids. Those were my guiding lights when creating this space.”
But how do you describe the design? Throughout the project, make sure you’re taking notes on what the client says, what they are hoping to achieve with the space, and what their desired outcome would be. When you craft your pitch it should include those exact phrases. This lets the client know you’re committed to helping them achieve those goals.
If you’re sending the presentation digitally, write up a little intro slide with these descriptions and create a short intro video with Loom or Berrycast to make it more personal.
5. Plan every moment of the design presentation beforehand
When you’re getting ready to present your design to your clients, make sure that you’ve got the meeting scheduled to a T.
For example, your schedule might look something like this:
- Minutes 0 – 3: Greetings and ice breakers, human connection
- Minutes 4 – 6: Explain the guiding principles and overall approach for the design
- Minutes 7 – 15: Share the moodboard, 3D renderings, and floor plan
- Minutes 16 – 20: Take feedback
- Minutes 21 – 30: Clarify the next steps for the project
Of course, things might not go exactly as planned, but just by having things written down, you’ll be able to quell your own anxiety, show up as a true professional, and keep the meeting on track.
6. Create PDF slides to organize the entire presentation
A lot goes into a design presentation. You’ve got moodboards, floor plans, project phases, …etc.
Make sure that you’re adding all of this to a PDF presentation. Even if you plan to present the design live, it’s very likely that the client will ask to see the presentation so they can review everything in more detail.
You don’t want to make them click around through a bunch of different links, so make sure you have one organized PDF file that contains everything they need to know they can explore.
7. Make sure you’re dressed on brand
If you’ve ever watched interior design shows on HGTV or Netflix, you know that a designer’s brand is evident not only in the transformations they create for clients but also in their own clothing and accessories.
Know your brand and stick to it. That might be simple, minimalistic shift dresses or bold power suits with statement jewelry.
8. Have all of your swatches ready
Clients want to touch and feel the materials you’re planning to use so make sure you’ve got swatches and samples for flooring, paint colors, cabinetry, tiles, upholstery, etc.
If you are dealing with large full home projects, organize your samples by room so you can share the appropriate ones as you make your way through each room in your presentation. This will help keep you organized and your client focused on the task at hand.
9. Mention stories from previous successful projects
Clients have already hired you, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need more reassurance. Based on their previous experience working with interior designers or tackling home renovation projects, they might feel confident about moving forward—or terrified.
Make sure you’re “reading the room” as the saying goes, and talk about what the project looks like from here, using plenty of stories, examples, and mini-case studies to back up your claims. Of course, delays and issues happen. So, the point here isn’t to lie to your clients, but to use past triumphs to combat any concerns they bring up.
10. Only show options when you think it’s necessary
Should you show your clients options?
If you include too many options in your design presentation, you’ll give the impression that you’re not decisive enough. This might raise doubt in your clients because they’re relying on you to be the decision-maker.
Only show options in your design when you think it’s absolutely necessary—such as the choice between utilizing a dining hutch they already have versus purchasing something that fits the design a bit better, but will up the budget.
Otherwise, keep the options to yourself. Have them in your back pocket so your prepared for cases where clients want to see alternative options. But don’t show them in your initial presentation.
11. Show clients a final design that’s a little higher than their budget
Kim Horton is a Connecticut-based designer who recommends that you ask clients to allow you to design their dream without a set constraint and then work backward from there to fit within their budget. She has clients give her the prices they’d be comfortable with spending on certain items to get a ballpark for their budget, and then designs something a bit higher than their budget to help them get the final look they want.
You can watch our full interview with her to get all of the details about her approach, which she credits with getting her a stellar portfolio:
12. Have backup products ready to keep the design under budget
When using the strategy mentioned above, you don’t want to frustrate your clients by going way beyond their desired budget.
You can have backup products ready (in your back pocket) to update the design and get the numbers back into safer territory.
13. Ask for their feedback in an open-ended way
Don’t say, Is there anything you want to remove? or Do you want to swap out any items to lower the budget?
Instead, simply ask, “How do you feel about this design?” and see what they say.
This gives off more confidence and doesn’t assume anything is wrong with the design. You never want to encourage your clients to find faults.
14. Take notes or record the client’s feedback
Unless you have one of those minds that remembers everything, be sure that you or someone on your team is taking notes or opt for recording the session so you can review it later. Design presentations can take a while, especially if you are dealing with a full home project. Having a detailed record of all the feedback your client provided will ensure you and your team address all requests and changes before your next client meeting.
15. Bring your unique flair and personality to the presentation
Are you goofy? Funny? Mellow? Serious?
Whatever your unique personality, bring it.
Your clients chose you because they connected with your personal brand and portfolio pieces. They want to work with you, not a robot. So be your 100% authentic self.
16. Be prepared to let clients know which purchases can be delayed
When hit with a big bill, some clients might struggle to want to move forward. Prepare phases ahead of time, so you can let your clients know which items could be purchased later.
You don’t need to mention this option unless the client seems concerned about the budget, and you can tell that’s why they’re not giving you the green light.
17. Let the visuals speak for themselves
One of the best sales tips is to not talk too much. If you do, you’ll appear nervous and unconfident.
In a way, a design presentation is like a sales conversation. You’re selling your vision and your hard work, and you need the client to give their approval.
So, make sure not to over explain and ramble on too much. After you share why you choose the approach you did and what you were trying to achieve, let the visuals do the talking. Be quiet for a few minutes so the client can imagine the final result without distractions.
18. Use design software that allows for in-person and digital presentations
Your design software should make it easy for you to present in various formats. You should be able to add your moodboards and 3D renderings to a PDF presentation for in-person or virtual meetings. And, if you run your business digitally, you should also be able to send a link to the designs and allow the client to comment on products and elements directly.
Check out DesignFiles for the best design and project management tools.
19. Include your junior designers
If you have junior designers on your team who are heading up a project or contributing to it greatly, make sure to bring them to the presentation. That way, they can answer any questions that only they have the background knowledge on. Plus, they can learn how you run design presentations in preparation for running them one day.
20. Create a presentation template for future use
Whether done by you or your team, creating design boards and presentations is a ton of work. With the wrong processes, you’ll struggle with design and formatting issues.
To save yourself time, use templates. With DesignFiles, you can create templates for your moodboards, which you can then add to your presentation in seconds.
21. Clarify the next steps and set the schedule moving forward
When you’re confident and in control of the situation, your clients will feel at ease. Spend the end of the meeting discussing what the path looks like from here.
If the pricing moves from flat rate to hourly now that the project is in the project management phase, then remind them of that. If you know of any likely delays, give them a heads-up. Offer the best-case scenarios, what could impede them, and how you’ll address any issues.
Example interior design presentations
Interior designer Karin Bohn takes us behind the scenes of a presentation for a major office renovation. Notice how calm and comfortable she is as she shares the design team’s big ideas. You’ll also notice how she allows junior designers to speak, too.
In the next interior design presentation example, you’ll see Sophie Paterson share her design plans for a living room and master bedroom. The presentation materials, moodboards, and floor plans are all presented in her signature luxe, minimal style.
The final word? An excellent interior design presentation will help you wow your clients and make it easy for them to say yes to the design and feel excited and confident moving forward.
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