As an interior designer, your portfolio of polished, final-room shots often does the heavy lifting when it comes to attracting clients, but what those polished, professional photos fail to tell is the full story of the creativity, collaboration, installations, and careful planning that go into every project.
The final product isn’t something that just happens within a few days. Most projects require months or even years of planning – from carefully choosing paint colors, furniture choices, and decorations to accessorize the space, interior design is a true art form and like any art form, it’s a process. And it’s a process worth documenting!
Which is why leveraging short-form content is such an effective, yet overlooked, way of showcasing the behind-the-scenes of your projects.
By capturing the process of a project in progress, from install days to material details to team collaboration, you can showcase the hard work and thoughtfulness behind your designs in a way polished photos alone can’t.
So, if you’ve been looking for a new and unique way to tell the full story behind your designs, keep reading for how you can benefit from working with a short-form content creator as an interior designer!
What Is Short-Form Content Creation?
Before diving into how you can leverage short-form content as an interior designer, it’s helpful to know exactly what it is.
Put simply, short-form content is bite-sized videos or clips, usually under 60–90 seconds, that highlight moments in a way that’s quick, engaging, and shareable. Think Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, or short clips for social media and marketing materials.
Unlike polished portfolio photos, short-form content captures action, movement, and real-time moments that give viewers a fuller understanding of a project.
As an interior designer, you could technically work to capture this content yourself, but as a professional myself, I know how difficult it can be to remember to stop and film yourself when you’re in the midst of a project.
I’m sure you can relate… you start installing a room, realize you forgot to snap a “before” shot, and end up with a few scattered photos or clips here and there. While those random moments are better than nothing, they rarely tell the full story of your design process.
Which is why hiring someone to create short-form content for you is such an effective way to capture the entire process from start to finish! That “someone” in question is referred to as a behind-the-scenes content creator whose focus is to document the process of your work.
As an interior designer specifically, that might look like install days, material selections, team collaboration, and other in-progress moments that aren’t typically captured in traditional portfolio photography.
A behind-the-scenes content creator’s goal is to showcase the effort, creativity, and expertise behind your finished designs, giving clients and followers a glimpse into how your projects come to life.
When we pair behind-the-scenes capture with short-form content, it allows us to showcase the full story of your work as an interior designer, highlight your team’s effort, and give you a ready-to-use content library for social media, client presentations, and marketing channels.
5 Ways To Leverage Short-Form Content on Social Media for Interior Design
Now, let’s get into a few specific ways you can actually leverage short-form content as an interior designer!
Capture Install Days and Behind-the-Scenes Work
One of the biggest days for interior designers are install days – the day that all of your hard work of creating a vision and selecting all the right materials to bring it to life actually happens!
It’s when a blank slate is transformed into a polished space that your clients truly dream about. But the sad part is that install days rarely get the attention they deserve in terms of capturing the moment.
Sure, you might remember to set up your phone to record quick time lapse or you might snap a before and after photo, but most of the time, the attention is on the outcome.
And don’t get me wrong, the final product IS amazing and should be documented, but there’s so much work you endure as a designer to even get to that finalized product and that deserves just as much attention!
But when you’re in the thick of install days as a designer, it’s hard to remember to press that record button… and can be even harder to even know what to capture in the first place.
Even if you’re not the one doing the heavy lifting, you’re often the one there with your computer, making sure everything gets executed exactly the way you designed it to be.
Which is why hiring a dedicated short-form content creator for your install days is such a smart move!
A behind-the-scenes content creator can help you capture the energy, coordination, and creativity that happens on these days through reels, timelapses, or quick clips so that you can tell the full story of a design from start to finish.
Highlight Material Details and Finishes
As an interior designer, one of your greatest talents is being able to select the right textures, finishes, fabrics, and color palettes that bring a space to life – it’s a true talent that not everyone has!
Oftentimes clients see the final design where every element is paired together to create a cohesive look, but what they typically lack is a deeper understanding of every decision in context.
Utilizing short-form content throughout your design process can show clients why each choice matters and give them a behind-the-scenes look at your expertise!
For example, close-up clips of a marble countertop being installed, a patterned tile coming together, or a custom-built piece of furniture being placed give viewers a tangible sense of your attention to detail.
These small and often overlooked elements elevate your work, and capturing them in motion adds depth and storytelling value to your portfolio.
Show Team Collaboration and Creative Problem-Solving
Though you might create the vision on your own, the actual process of bringing a design to life is rarely something you do solo. Oftentimes, there’s a team of people behind an interior design project that work together to problem-solve, brainstorm, and execute your vision with precision.
Short-form content can highlight your workflow and collaboration, giving prospective clients a sense of professionalism and expertise that goes beyond the final-room photography.
For example, quick clips of your team adjusting layouts, brainstorming on-site, or coordinating with contractors illustrate the expertise and effort behind every decision.
This type of content not only showcases your leadership and teamwork skills but also humanizes your brand, letting clients connect with the people making the vision happen!
Repurpose Content for Marketing and Social Media
Interior design is one of those industries that heavily relies on visual marketing and it’s important that you have a variety of materials to work with. And again, while professional photography that shows off the final project is incredibly valuable and indeed important for showcasing your work, it often misses the in-between.
That’s where working with a short-form content creator can come into play. We capture content that’s incredibly versatile, allowing you to repurpose the content across multiple platforms and mediums, depending on how you prefer to do your marketing.
For example, clips from install days, material close-ups, viewing architectural plans, and behind-the-scenes team moments can be repurposed for Instagram reels, TikTok videos, LinkedIn posts, or even newsletters.
With content like this, you can create various types of posts, including “before-and-after” transitions, mini tutorials, or time-lapse videos that educate and inspire your audience, all while promoting your brand and attracting new clients!
Overall, by sharing process-driven content, you give followers a peek behind the curtain and position yourself as a designer who cares about both aesthetics and thoughtful execution!
Tell the Full Story of Your Projects
Final-room photos are just one part of the interior design story. There’s so much that happens before you get to that point and short-form content allows you to document the journey from start to finish, showing prospective clients how you transform a space over time.
This type of content highlights not only your creative vision but also your problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage logistics. It creates a fuller story around your work, helping you stand out in a competitive market.
But again, when you’re in the middle of a project, it can be hard to stop what you’re doing to ensure that you capture certain moments, which is why working with a short-form content creator can be so helpful! You get to live in your creative zone throughout the duration of the project, while we document all of the important parts for you.
Ready to elevate your interior design portfolio with short-form content?
As an interior designer, polished portfolio shots will always have a place in your marketing strategy, but capturing projects in progress with short-form content gives clients and followers a deeper understanding of your expertise, process, and attention to detail.
If you’re an interior designer looking to showcase the full story of your projects, from install days to finishing touches, behind-the-scenes short-form content is a game-changer and it can really help your portfolio stand out among the rest!
While many people are of course inspired by the finished products that you help create, there’s also so many people who would be thrilled to see more behind-the-scenes of all the in-between moments that go into your work.
So, if you’re ready to start documenting your design process in a way that elevates your portfolio and showcases your expertise, you’re in the right place!
At Treillage, we specialize in capturing imagery and film content for those with one of a kind style. Known for our signature observant art, design-centered style, and calm approach, creatives value our attention to detail and collaborative approach to behind-the-scenes content creation.
CLICK HERE to learn more about how you can work with us to capture short-form content for your interior design business!
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