Portfolio+Center

The graphic design industry in North America is almost exclusively associated with New York City and Seattle, Washington. New York holds the nations largest collection of design firms, print houses, etc, and is arguably the graphic design center of the entire world. An interesting fact, however, is that one of the world’s leading graphic design schools for post-grads is located right here in Atlanta. Once this fact is known, it comes as little surprise that the Portfolio Center (nicknamed “PC” by its students), the internationally renowned institute focused of its students’ development of an extremely high quality, diverse body of work, is located in lower Buckhead’s gallery district, directly behind Tula Art Galleries, and less than a block away from Bennett Street Gallery.

The Portfolio Center, although not an actual accredited academic program, is a school for artists and creatives wishing to be expressive as well as successful in a digital technology driven design market. The primary concentrations of training are graphic design and art direction, but studies of illustration, copywriting, photography, environmental design, architecture, and even poetry are also offered as a course of study. The school treats graphic design as a desirable talent in each of its students to create highly marketable products and brand identities.

The campus is regularly visited by recruiters from design and identity intense companies, for whom graphic design and the projected image of a company play a crucial factor in the company’s success. To date, some of the companies that have carried out recruitment campaigns at the Portfolio Center include Microsoft, Starbucks, Abercrombie & Fitch, and many others. Big name guest speakers, such as the creative directors, art directors, etc, of Coca-Cola, Hallmark, Phillips Electronics, and Martha Stewart Living are also frequent. As a part of one of the courses at Portfolio Center, “The History of Design”, taught by the school’s president, Hank Richards, students take a week long field trip to New York to meet with design firm C.E.O.’s, and to learn from graphic design superstars like David Carson and James Victore. Throughout each of the eight quarters a student will attend the school for, regular live, interactive video conferences are held with leading designers from Seattle, New York, London, and India.

Upon visiting the campus of the Portfolio Center, one’s initial reaction might be one of shock that such a famous institute with such a good reputation could also be so small. Located in Buckhead, where land space is both expensive and scarce, the school itself is barely larger than a small warehouse divided into several separated rooms. These thoughts are immediately forgotten, however, upon stepping first foot inside the doors, where a wealth of high quality art and design created by the students stares back at you in greeting. Accompanied by the artwork are the welcoming smiles of Hank Richardson, the school’s founder and president, whose soft-spoken thick Mississippi-gentleman accent only works to enhance an attitude and personality that is as whimsical and interesting as the endless rows of art decorating the walls.