Graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister did not care for engineering in high school. He found designing a poster that would communicate a vibe and draw crowds to an event to be way more compelling. After design school, the Austrian native decided that New York is the city that fits him best. With many awards and a big name in his field, he’s now focusing on art, exhibitions and taking a sabbatical every 7 years. He’s got a brain for planning and long-term data which allows for a very optimistic long view.

What is your earliest memory?

A cow jumping over me in the Montafon, a mountain valley in the West Austrian alps.

How do you feel about democratic design?

Good if it means that we take the audience we design for seriously and we figure out what they need and design accordingly. Bad if it means that we have a large group of people such as a committee involved in the design process.

What’s the best advice that you’ve ever gotten?

"The only difficulty in running a design studio is to figure out how not to grow large. Everything else is easy.” from my mentor Tibor Kalman.

How do you record your ideas?

In large black sketchbooks. I have about 30 of them.

What’s your current favorite tool or material to work with?

Old canvases and a X-acto knife.

What book is on your nightstand?

Steven Pinker: Enlightenment Now.

Why is authenticity in design important?

Because there is so much inauthentic work out there, including the kind of work that claims to be authentic, that we all crave true honesty.

Favorite restaurant in your city?

Right now likely Manhatta, on Liberty Street in New York.

What might we find on your desk right now?

An espresso cup.

Who do you look up to and why?

James Turrell, because he is able to create the most sublime beauty in a field - contemporary art - where beauty is often disparged.

What’s your favorite project that you’ve done and why?

Likely the entire series on “Things I’ve Learned in my Life so far”, as it allowed me to use the language of design for a more personal expression, it created the opportunity to use many different media and strategies for different entities in different countries and still created a unified whole.

What are the last five songs you listened to?

Bungalow, Bilderbuch

Kashmir, Dave Matthews Time Reynolds

Traffic, Thom Yorke

Tesselate, Alt-J

Let Love In, Nick Cave

Thanks to Adobe MAX for hosting us in the Airstream podcast lounge.

Thanks to Rich Stroffolino for editing this episode.
Music in this episode courtesy of El Ten Eleven—hear more on Bandcamp.
Shoutout to Jenny Rask for designing the Clever logo.

Keep Listening

Featured

Ep. 212: HODINKEE’s Ben Clymer on Agency, Permanence, and the Talismans of Life

Ben Clymer grew up in a New York suburb, raised by middle-class public school teachers and enamored by his grandfather’s swagger and style. An Omega Speedmaster, a gift from said grandfather, is the piece that captured his heart and sets his story in motion. A painstakingly shy student, he began to gain self-confidence in high-school and a need to differentiate in college. In 2008 he started a tiny blog, HODINKEE, a passion-project about watches that gained traction and sent him on a mission to get a Master’s in Journalism. Since then, HODINKEE has led to creative collaborations with the most prestigious watch brands and famous rockstars, and grown into a multi-channel platform that has transformed the world of luxury watches.

Ep. 211: The Soulful Renovations of House of Rolison

Co-founders of House of Rolison, Amanda Leigh and Taylor Hahn, grew up on opposite coasts but were both self-described angsty teens. Both had a deep love for art and architecture, choosing different professional paths before they met online and their fates intertwined. Their first date turned into a road trip and then quarantine-based cohabitation. Since starting House of Rolison, they’ve renovated a number of forgotten old homes into warm, elegant, modern beauties. Their complementary strengths and deep reverence for their crafts and trades crew, ensures that each new project has room for magic and a whole lot of soul.

Ep. 210: Marva Griffin Wilshire on 25 years of SaloneSatellite and Showcasing Creativity

Frequently referred to as the godmother of Italian design, Marva Griffin Wilshire, grew up in a large family in Venezuela, reading House & Garden and rearranging the furniture. Drawn to Italy in the 1970’s, she landed a job as a secretary for Piero Busnelli, founder of B&B Italia, which opened up her entire world. She was introduced to architects and designers, getting a first-hand look at the inner workings of Italian design. Since then, she’s committed herself to giving young designers a chance to showcase their creativity – most notably by founding the wildly successful SaloneSatellite which welcomes emerging designers worldwide.

Ep. 209: Holly Howard on Business Growth for Creative Entrepreneurs

Polymath Holly Howard has lived many lives. A former professional ballet dancer, bassoonist, medical researcher and board-certified music therapist, she’s pulled from science, art, and design to create a one-of-a-kind path for herself. Now, she runs the successful culture-first business consultancy, Ask Holly How, to help creative entrepreneurs grow personally and professionally, and better understand that business and creativity are more powerful when wielded together.

Ep. 208: ICRAVE’s Lionel Ohayon on Designing the Las Vegas Sphere and Other Brave Ideas

Lionel Ohayon was born in Canada to a family spanning Morocco, Israel, and Spain. This multi-cultural upbringing armed him with the ability to synthesize different inputs and understand complex topics from an early age, and an innate appreciation of hospitality. He founded ICRAVE as a design-build startup in 2002, and several ground-breaking projects later, is now leading the charge in reinventing hospitality experiences like the immersive and otherworldly Las Vegas Sphere, and the anxiety-reducing Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Ep. 113: Graphic Designer Stefan Sagmeister

Keep Listening

Hear every episode with one click.

Resources

Listen

Ep. 113: Graphic Designer Stefan Sagmeister

Keep Listening

Ep. 114: Clever Extra - Wall Power: Uplift Our Spaces, Uplift Our Spirits

Ep. 112: Heath Creative Director Catherine Bailey

Hear every episode with one click.

Resources

Listen