Everything I've Learned in My Life So Far
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TITLE INFORMATION
Author: Stefan Sagmeister
Publisher: Abrams
Year Published: 2013
Dimensions: 6.75” x 9.75”
Pages: 296
Things I Have Learned in My Life so Far by Stefan Sagmeister is a collection of his own personal maxims that he has accrued throughout his life. Each maxim is constructed into a piece of typographic work, and is separated into its own signature, resulting in a collection of booklets housed in a laser cut slip case that can be interchanged, mixed, and matched to create new cover designs. Due to this composition, the maxims can be read in any order at the discretion of the reader.
These maxims all circle back to Sagmeister’s own pursuit of happiness, and strive to create beautiful things. All of the work featured in these maxims have in some way, shape, or form been presented in the real world as advertisements, installations, magazine spreads, etc. I very much enjoy the range of typographic work that Sagmeister has put into this collection. Each example is as unique as the last, and is as fun and witty as Sagmeister.
The design of this collection is pretty straightforward; a few spreads with various parts of the maxim followed by one or two pages of an explanation and context that revolves around the maxim written by Sagmeister. Each signature has its own cover design that relates to the content inside. Each one is not labelled, which makes for a nice surprise as the reader discovers the contents within. The typographic hierarchy in this book is something I have yet to see in other publications, but it works, and is quite refreshing.
Each description is a personal anecdote that somehow relates back to him trying to achieve happiness. Whether it be creating fresh, unanticipated and unplanned work during his sabbatical, having the guts to freely say what he wants to, or even just trying to accept his dreams as being abstract with no meaning, Sagmeister always relates it back to psychology. I thoroughly enjoy this aspect because it emphasizes the significance of each maxim to his own personal satisfaction with life.
After reading this collection, I have built a newfound appreciation for Sagmeister as well as for his process. It all boils down to him wanting to live a life true to himself, and who wouldn’t want that? To seamlessly collaborate with artists and designers from around the world, no matter the task, challenge, or brief, he is able to call upon for assistance to create something truly magnificent.
This collection is an odd mix of life advice and design, and despite the amount of books on the market catered to similar audience, I have yet to see anything executed as magnificently and as creatively as this. It’s difficult to fully make a decision on whether or not this book is more about his work or about happiness, because it feels like it’s not trying to be either. All in all, it’s Sagmeister putting both out into the world with no manifesto, and no call to action; it is simply himself, and I can appreciate that.
This book is perfect for any graphic designer, illustrator, and type enthusiast who may feel like they need some creative inspiration, or even just want a closer look into Sagmeister’s brain, and want to pull some visual inspiration from a unique take on book design.
Disclaimer: There are mentions of sex, drugs, and body image.