John Potter studied at the West of England College of Art, Bristol, during the 1950s. After graduation from college, he served a five-year apprenticeship in a large graphic design studio in Bristol. In 1961, he was given an opportunity to move to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to set up and manage a graphic design studio for an international printing and packaging company. Returning to the United Kingdom in 1972, he pursued a new career in business management until his retirement.