They make a way. - Maryland Institute College of Art

PJ Richardson ’00 GRAPHIC DESIGN
Partner, Laundry / Los Angeles, CA
“My job is as much about creating visually stunning and
unique things as it is about a huge amount of people-pleasing.
They may call it sales or PR, but we would not be here if
we weren’t meeting our clients’ needs and finding solutions.”
MICA was about as far away from his hometown
of San Francisco as he could get, but PJ Richardson
looked forward to studying in a new environment.
He chose the school over the others he was
considering: RISD, Pratt, SAIC, and SVA. After
enrolling in MICA, Richardson was impressed
with the problem-solving philosophy of its design
program. It taught him to create solutions to design
problems that could be translated across various
media, which is precisely what the design firm he
eventually founded, Laundry, does today. He recalls
faculty members he studied with, Ellen Lupton
and Abbott Miller, in particular, set the tone that
the possibilities were endless in terms of what
could be accomplished for clients. Internships and
guest lecturers helped him balance his need to
express himself creatively with the people-pleasing
demands of the industry. Learning from working
designers helped him understand what his career
could really be like once he graduated.
About five years after graduating, he took
the plunge, with a partner, into self-employment
so that he could pursue projects he has a
passionate interest in. With 20 employees, who
work with more than two dozen freelancers,
his firm is nimble enough to navigate interactive
projects larger studios cannot keep up with.
The firm takes on everything from television
commercials to film titles to music videos to
live action and animation. Clients include MTV,
Nike, Coca-Cola, Ebay, Vevo, The Black Eyed
Peas and Rolling Stones music groups, and a
host of others. The physical environment mirrors
the company’s culture and philosophy: open,
collaborative, and creative.
AT MICA, RICHARDSON SAYS, THE CRITIQUE
PROCESS PREPARED HIM TO BE ABLE TO SELL
HIS IDEAS AND VISION TO CLIENTS. ACCORDING
TO RICHARDSON, THE ABILITY TO SELL IDEAS
WAS CRITICAL TO HIS SUCCESS.
If he was giving advice to MICA students, he
would encourage them to do a wide variety of
internships, like he did. Above all, he would
encourage them not to be afraid to try new things.
That’s exactly what Laundry is pursuing, raising
the bar technically and visually. Ultimately, however,
the team at Laundry will always seek to create
a memorable experience through storytelling.
ENTERPRISE
MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
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