TED + Sagmeister

Stefan Sagmeister first made an impression on me with his appearance in the movie Helvetica. Somehow he immediately comes off as someone who will consistently challenge the normal, trendy, and expected.

Thankfully, his work does just that.

From his edgy, revolutionary album covers to his handmade, poetic magazine spreads, his work is a fresh example of someone who explores every possible method of communication. Furthermore, Sageister's work often conveys an immensely heartfelt element that serves to reveal himself as simply another human being trying to lead a happy life... (oh what a segway)

In my opinion, Sagmeister's TED Talk is as bold as it is simple. To examine design by what can evoke happiness as opposed to what is a visualization of happiness, he explores the notion that design can truly change the world (cue enlarged chip on shoulder). His presentation reminded me of the times that I show projects to friends or family - their faces truly tell the tale. The works that I have found most successful always have a better chance of evoking that instant smile or "Wow" that makes the whole, grueling process worthwhile.

Finally, Sagmeister reinforces his ideas in the inspiring How Good is Good? article. After reading his thoughts, it seems hard not to examine your eventual goals as a designer. But overall, what I think he does amazingly well is to remind us that we as designers, just like presidents, lawyers, or doctors, will be judged by how we help or hurt the people around us.

Other inspiring TED videos:

Milton Glaser talks about his amazing thought process and the rebellious spirit that makes him a legend.

Jennifer Lin, a fourteen-year old piano phenom shows her improvisation prowess - an interesting relation to design. Music provides amazing parellels to our work (especially improv) when considering scale, symettry, emphasis, and theme/variation.