How to make your summer design portfolio irresistible

It’s currently the summer holidays here in the UK & I’m often asked variations of “what are some productive ways to work on my portfolio during the summer break?”. So here are a few ideas that I like to provide to my coaching clients to get the inspiration flowing:

1. COLOUR PALETTES & TRENDS:

Keep an eye for colours & trends coming up & see if you can create a new collection around them or recolour some existing work that hasn’t sold. Colours taken from ‘Coastal Dreams’ & ‘Stripes in Bloom’ spring/summer 2025 design trends from Make it in Design.

2. SET YOURSELF PERSONAL PROJECTS & TASKS:

Task 1: 3D colour palette. Gather items from around your home & put together a 3D colour palette. Not only is this a great way to spark a new design idea, it’s also a good thing to pop on your social media & blog. Multiple types of content in one!

Task 2: Idea generator jar. Gather some strips of paper or sticky notes & jot down 10 different colours, design themes & styles. Randomly pick however you feel is right & away you go with a new idea!

Creative exercises taken from my book Power Up your Creativity – a great addition to your summer activity list!

3. THE 7-DAY CHALLENGE:

We have a lot fun putting together the 7-day floral challenges over on @makeitindesign (you can see past challenges in the highlights). Hop on over to start your 7 days of fun drawing florals or create your own around a theme that inspires you!

Make sure to tag me @rachaeltaylor_ | @rachaeltstudio as I’d love to see what you get up to!