DesignThinkers: Stefan Sagmeister

"Actually doing the things that I set out to do increases my level of satisfaction."

Stefan Sagmeister was likely the biggest draw for conference attendees since he does have that 'rockstar' graphic designer status. I have heard Sagmeister present twice before; the first was a great presentation about his first sabbatical from working. The second presentation he must have been seriously jet-lagged because it was a dull and sleepy talk. Third time was a charmer, as Sagmeister talked about The Happy Film and his clues to happiness and satisfaction. 

Things that make Sagmeister happy:

• thinking about ideas and content freely — with the deadline far away

• traveling to new places

• using a wide variety of tools and techniques

• working on projects that matter to me

• having things come back from the printer done well

• designing a project that feels party brand new and partly familiar

• working without interruption on a single project

• getting feedback from people who see our work

"I do more of the things I like to do and fewer of the things I don't like."

I am very bad at predicting what will make me happy in the future. It's like going to a supermarket when you're hungry and you buy too much stuff.

Presenter tip: rather than imagining the audience naked, just start out by showing a picture of yourself naked.