August Portfolio Review: Finding Your Strength & Making It Clear

This month’s portfolio review takes a look at Marina Manova’s work as she considers moving beyond print-on-demand and beginning to pitch her designs to wallpaper and interiors companies.

Marina already has a strong body of work, so this review is less about can she do it? and more about how she can refine her portfolio to communicate her strengths, understand where her work fits in the market, and present it with greater confidence and clarity.

During the review, we talk about:

• Identifying what makes your work distinctive—and leaning into it
• Balancing bold, unexpected colorways with more commercially accessible options
• Presenting collections and colorways so buyers immediately understand what they’re seeing
• Using mockups strategically to help buyers envision designs in an interior
• Small design details that can strengthen—or distract from—an otherwise beautiful pattern
• Thinking about your target market before deciding what belongs in your portfolio
• Knowing when your portfolio is ready to pitch

One of the biggest discoveries in Marina’s portfolio is her unique sense of color. Rather than toning that down, we talk about how she could make it part of her signature while still demonstrating that she understands the commercial interiors market.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your work is really ready to approach companies—or whether you need to keep tweaking before you put yourself out there—this is an especially valuable review to watch.

The takeaway: A strong portfolio isn’t simply a collection of your best work. It should make it easy for a potential buyer to understand what you do, what makes you different, and how your work could live in their market.