Career and character profile of Stefan Sagmeister
The need for change plays an important role in our everyday life. When change need to occur, one thinks it’s the end of the world rather than seeing it as another door opening. This situation can be divided in wicked problem analysis, analysis paralysis, value paralysis, and holistic paralysis. These strategies are all based on the same problem-solving foundation that focuses on the actual situation and outcomes versus what should have been and what the desired outcomes should be. This is known as desiderata. (Nelson, H & Stolterman, E 2012)
Sagmeister took some nude photographs of himself. The images weren’t pornographic even though he was naked. It is rather showing the truth without being distasteful.
“The audience is much more interested in design now because almost everybody is a designer themselves, - involved in type-choices and formatting questions ect. This technology driven change hos not led to the predicted job losses for designers but to a desire for more sophisticated work from professionals.”-Stefan Sagmeister
Vision and agenda: unorthodox, provocative designs that tweak the status quo and question the designer’s role in society.
Sagmeister is a Jack of all trades when it comes to his skills. He is inspired by Tibor Kalman as he saw him as a designer with no fear. Sagmeister knows that the design itself is just as important as designing it. Stefan Sagmeister has no limits.
“My granddad wanted to become a sign painter and designer, but was stopped; my dad would have had a real talent for language, but was stopped. When I expressed a desire to become a graphic designer, I was not stopped.”-Stefan Sagmeister
Sagmeister showed an interest in being a designer from the age 14-15. At that time he worked for a small local business and quickly realized that he liked the design part much more. As time went by Sagmeister applied to study at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and he finished his studies within 4 years. He later on got his masters degree at New York, Pratt Institute.
Tibor Kalman is Sagmeisters most influential person in his design career. When Sagmeister get to meet Tibor Kalman for the first time he had a sketch in his portfolio that had a similar concept that the M&Co, the company Kalman worked for, was working on that particular time. Kalman took Sagmeisters sketch and he was very flattered about it. 5 years later, Sagmeister started working for M&Co.
As time went by, Sagmeister started his own company known as Sagmeister & Walsh that is a creative agency based in New York. They specialize in brand identities, campaigns, social strategy and content creation, commercials, websites, apps, books, environments, and even more.
How Sagmeister’s design process:
*Keep your idea in mind with the deadline far away
*Work with no interruption
*Work on one project at a time
*Use different skills/techniques
*Visit new places for inspiration
Stefan Sagmeister likes helping other designers where he can. It helps his mind to stay positive.
