Pentagram Portfolio Program

The Pentagram Portfolio Program is a two-semester class, open to select Electronic Design and Multimedia students and recent alumni, that serves as a bridge between a design education and the professional design world. Accepted students will take a weekly class at Pentagram, the New York office of the international design consultancy, where they will develop new portfolio projects that center around identity design. Paula Scher will lead the program, and students will be mentored by Scher with fellow Pentagram Partners Emily Oberman, Natasha Jen, and Michael Gericke. The Pentagram Partners will donate their time and services. Students will be working on the same types of projects that are designed by Pentagram on a daily basis. They will learn how to create identity systems, invent visual languages, and translate them into the many forms necessary for today’s communications, including digital, print, and environmental design. The students will have an opportunity to experience the design studio environment at Pentagram and have access to its resources and staff. The class will include guest speakers in the field who can lend insight into how students can navigate their future careers. By the end of the first semester, students should become comfortable with the process of creating design systems. By the end of the second semester, they should excel at it. Interested students should have a working understanding of typography, Photoshop, and basic animation skills. Select EDM students and recent alumni will be granted permission to enroll in the class based on a portfolio review and in-person interview at Pentagram. Portfolio submission guidelines are available on the EDM website, or contact Professor Mark Addison Smith, EDM Program Director and course faculty mentor.