Stefan Sagmeister is certainly one of the most innovative and inspiring designers and graphic artists. Known as a "philosopher among designers", he not only designs covers for The Rolling Stones, Jay Z, David Byrne and OK Go but also initiates exciting communication projects. Together with his professional partner Jessica Walsh, he is among the leading agencies as SAGMEISTER & WALSH.
In our new series "Featured by #jungbleiben magazine", the Austrian designer provides insights about his childhood in a fashion house, as well as how to attract attention and elaborates why even duvets are a good source of inspiration. So let's start the interview with a short word rap to warm up.
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Touch screen or pen?
Pencil.
Photoshop or InDesign?
Pencil.
Screen or print?
Pencil.
Your family runs the well-known fashion house SAGMEISTER in Bregenz for several generations. How did growing up in a family-business shape you as a creative entrepreneur?
I lived directly above the store with three sisters and two brothers. Most lunch and dinner conversations of my parents were centered around the store and I was certainly not very fond of that. What shaped me more was the fact that my grandfather was a sign painter, I grew up with his sketches and paintings hanging around the apartment.
Fashion has a lot to do with the first impressions, superficiality, and beauty. Did your family put emphasis on how you were dressed as a child?
Oh yes, and of course I rebelled against it. While my Mum would have loved me to be dressed properly - which meant conservative and clean at the time - I dressed in old sweaters and even older coats, sort of a hippy-grunge style.
Your most Vorarlberg trait?
Trying to improve a thing simply for the joy of improving it, even if neither the client nor the audience will ultimately appreciate it.
As a teenager, you moved to Vienna to start a graphic design education. Why did you choose this path and against a career in the fashion house?
At the time I was fascinated by album covers and thought that would be a wonderful thing to do with my life. Since my two older brothers were already involved in the store, it was much easier to convince my parents that I wanted to do something else. The store would not have been big enough for the three of us anyway.
When did you notice that you were better than your colleagues?
Never.
Is “Yes I know” – the best reply after receiving a compliment?
I prefer the classic: "Thank you, that's nice of you."
Did your youth in Austria prepare you well for what should come next?
I received most of my education here until I was 24. During this time my brain was not yet fully developed; I think that's why it was the most formative of my life. Many of my best friendships came about at that time. And although I love New York and have lived here for 20 years, I am still Austrian and - perhaps more importantly - feel very Austrian.
What makes a good graphic design?
It works and pleases the user.
After graduating, you worked for design and advertising agencies in New York and Hong Kong. When you were 30, you started your own thing in New York.
We started the studio with a clear intention to design for music. I wanted to combine those two interests at the time. After seven years, it was time to work in new fields.
Your biggest unexpected success?
The Happy Film. We made it to the Tribeca Film Festival with our very first work, to many cinemas in many countries and received great reviews.
Your biggest unexpected failure?
The Happy Film. No commission has ever given me such profound periods of despair as the making of this film. The seven grueling years it took him were so much harder, more expensive and more time-consuming than we imagined.
The worst logo ever hung anywhere in Austria?
I'm more interested in the best logo. I've always loved the logo of the Viennese textile company Gans (click here to see it).
How do you come up with ideas?
The technique I use most often comes from the Maltese philosopher Edward de Bono: he advises to start from a random object in order to find an idea. Let's say I'm supposed to design a pen. I could look at all the other pens now and think about how pens are used and who my target audience is. But instead I use - what is there in the hotel room? - let's say: Duvets...
...to think about pens?
Exactly. So, bedspreads in hotels are ... not the cleanest, they are full of bacteria ... Ahh, would it be possible to design a pen that is thermo-sensitive? That changes color, where I touch it? That could be quite cool - not so bad, considering the fact it took me 30 seconds.
Why does DeBono's method work so effectively?
Of course, the reason this works is because DeBono's method forces the brain to start out at new and different point, preventing it from falling into a familiar groove it has formed before.
How do you know when a draft is finished?
When the FedEx guy waits downstairs.
Your most creative moment throughout the day?
If it happens that ideas flow, then that's likely in the morning.
First, you made a film, then an exhibition about happiness, then another, about beauty. What's next?
I will stick with beauty. It feels like that's exactly what I should be doing right now.
More about Stefan Sagmeister: www.sagmeisterwalsh.com
Illustration by Daniel Triendl. Find out more about his work www.danieltriendl.com
In friendly cooperation with www.jungbleiben.com
What are you proud of?
I made Berlin a better place by designing the passenger information for BVG, the Berlin traffic enterprise, back in 1990/91, after the Wall came down. Before that, all the buses, trams and trains were beige. Now they are bright yellow and the best of all is that nobody gets lost anymore.
How did you manage to lift your work in the field of visual communication from others?
No idea. I always did what I thought was the best I could. Also, I often took complex projects that were too boring for other designers.
What is the most interesting part of your work for you?
Working with other people who are smarter than me, at least in some areas.
How do you choose the projects you work on?
I am officially retired and don’t do much commercial work anymore. Therefore I ask myself the following questions. Does the world need them? Are the clients good people? Do I need the money?
What is your favorite tool right now you’re most excited about to work with?
Analog printing presses and type metal.
What do you think about the design scene? How do you manage to position your work so radically different than others?
I don’t position my work, I just do it. Clients come with a project and I decide to do it or not.
What would you consider good design?
It needs to solve the problem plus add an extra level of aesthetic pleasure.
Do you think the internet is becoming the main place to look for inspiration?
Not anymore. People are going back to meeting people and doing analog things.
Which would you consider your biggest design mistake and what did you learn from it?
This story is too long to tell, but I learned never to promise more than I can actually keep.
How important would you say is it to share thoughts on design with others?
Very important. I actually never studied design and learned everything I know from others. So I like giving back to the younger generation.
This interview got published in Forward Magazine 2018.
All of the designers got the same briefing, the results are as diverse as we humans are. From black and white to colourful, from typography to illustration – but all around the topics of equality, diversity and love.
For the selection of the designers they put a huge emphasis onLGBTQ+ artists. Contributors include Alice Bowsher, Cynthia Kittler, Elliot Kruszynski, Josh McKenna, Loveis Wise, Marcus Oakley and Sujin Kim.
The t-shirts not just only look beautiful, with every purchase something beautiful ist achieved: 50% of the profits are being donated to support 
Get ready for whichever Pride Parade you may attend and get your t-shirt 
Credit: Laura Fantacuzzi / AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA
Visitors had to wade through a sea of biodegradable foam on the upper floor of the former royal waiting room to find their way to the exhibits. This represented the fun and “pleasure” component.
Credit: Laura Fantacuzzi / AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA
Credit: Laura Fantacuzzi / AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA
The ground floor, on the other hand, was turned into a treasure chamber – the “treasure” component of the exhibition. The design highlights were showcased in a darkened hall, positioned on a black pedestal littered with pieces of chocolate gold. That the coins might go missing had already been taken into account by the organizers as visitors were permitted to take coins away as a souvenir.
Credit: Laura Fantacuzzi / AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA
Credit: Laura Fantacuzzi / AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA
The exhibition showcased top-class design products from across Austria – from home accessories to office furniture, and from tableware to lighting. The exhibits themselves were selected by a jury of experts based on criteria such as the degree of innovation, craftsmanship as well as formal, aesthetic and functional qualities. Among the curated exhibits were works by established design greats as well as by up-and-comers. The NEU/ZEUG label, for example, was showcased in Milan for the first time. The label operates at the interface between manufactured and digital porcelain production and was presenting its PEARLS lamp series. The design creations of Lisa Wolf were also presented to the specialist audience in Milan for the first time. Her clay works Ha & Ba is somewhere between art and product design and combines function with sculpture.
Renowned product designer Thomas Feichtner presented the Octagon Chair, which forms a figure of eight made from a total of twelve looped wires that overlap only in the seating surface. The steeped in tradition silverware workshop Wiener Silber Manufactur was founded in 1882 and played an important historical role as partner to some of the most prominent figures of the Wiener Werkstätte. This year it presented the tableware series Landscape, inspired by the decorative arrangements used in the ‘table landscape’ trend of the baroque era.
Lobmeyr designs can be found in large design collections such as the MoMA in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the MAK in Vienna. Marco Dessí and Lobmeyr have developed a new lighting concept with Ritter/The Knight. Starting from a sine curve, Dessí has developed a shape for a single lighting element that can be arranged and re-arranged to create ever new forms and shapes. The Alva shelving system by industrial designer Rainer Mutsch impresses not only with its airy, almost transparent appearance, but also thanks to its outstanding stability.
The challenge in creating a new identity and developing a brand strategy for Saffron lied in the complexity of the task: With over 70 departments and inconsistent sub-brands, the city's positioning had become complicated and inefficient.
Saffron brought the identity under one roof with a new font called Wiener Mélange and consistent design for almost all of the 70 sub-brands - except for strong brands like "Die 48er", the Viennese rubbish collection service. The old font featured letters set in many different typefaces and font styles - from bold to sans-serif to lower and uppercase - probably wanting to represent diversity.
The red shield with the white cross - the coat of arms of Vienna - of the old logo has been redesigned as well and adapts to the font style. It has been inspired by the lettering found on old historic Viennese buildings.
Saffron worked closely together in workshops with as many stakeholders as possible to find out the perceptions and key themes of the city: Der Mensch in der Mitte / Humans at heart.
The Viennese coat of arms has become the fun and catchy icon of the city's identity: The four quadrants offer flexibility and variety in style to the city's new brand: One of its quadrants can turn into a holding shape for messages or transform into objects.
F & F Tower, Panama City / Panama
The Shard, London / United Kingdom
Catherine Palace, Pushkin / Russia
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The project was kicked off by Karen Leibowitz, co-founder of The Perennial Restaurant. During the #MeToo debate last year, she talked to other women in the restaurant business about how they tackle sexual harassment. She realized that many do not know how to defend themselves against sexual harassment. Inspired by a well-known choking-victim poster created for New York restaurants in 1989, and with the help of Cherry Bombe co-founder Kerry Diamond, Karen and Kelli created a poster that educates restaurant staff about how they report and document sexual harassment at work.
For the poster design, Kelli used the ubiquitous Heimlich Maneuver posters that litter restaurant walls. So Kelli's graphic has a clear language that explains step by step how to document and report harassment. In addition, the designer used fluorescent RGB colors to visualize the threat.
Kelli Anderson’s designs reveal the invisible magic of the world
Kelli is an interactive designer who explores how design can harness invisible forces in the world. She is known for her design, animation and illustration work for NPR, "The New Yorker," "Wired," MoMA, and the "New York Times," as well as her redesign of brands such as Russ & Daughters, Momofuku, and Munchery. Kelli is the author of two experimental and interactive pop-up books: "This Book is a Camera" which transforms into a pinhole camera, and "This Book is a Planetarium," which houses a tiny planetarium and other contraptions.
Kelli will speak at Forward Festival in 
The movie BacKkKlansman has a strong political message, thus artist Brenda Luu drew her inspiration from Kehinde Wiley’s famous portrait of Barack Obama. At the same time the flowers in the background pay homage to the origins of the director Spike Lee, since the depicted flowers are the Nigerian national flower, to represent his African roots, the Georgia state flower that stand for his birthplace and the rose for his hometown New York.
Jac Castillo designed an alternative poster for the film version of the comic Black Panther. The work of artist Daniel Danger was his inspiration. Daniel is known for atmospheric lightning, monochromatic palette and detailed line work. Therefore Jack chose the cave where the heart-shaped herbs grow, that give the Black Panther his powers, as the setting.
The Favourite, another political film, about three woman in the early 18th century got it’s reimagined poster by Flo Lau. She aimed to highlight the fierce competition at the heart of the story while also illustration the film’s intricate set design. To archive this she made use of iconic elements by Roy Lichtenstein, but she also implemented the fisheye effect used in the movie as well as the black, white and gold colour theme. If you look closely you can see Queen Anne’s beloved rabbits in the background wall pattern.
Bohemian Rhapsody takes you on a journey through time to celebrate Queen and especially the lead singer Freddy Mercury. His flamboyant and unapologetic personality and his unique talent reminded artist Alice Lee of Andy Warhol. Therefore she created the movie poster in the iconic colourful style of the famous artist.
This year’s Best Picture winner Green Book is based on a real-life friendship between an African American pianist and his Italian American driver. During the movie several object are used to depict the friendship, that is why designer Rose-Ann Reynolds chose the style of Tony Fitzpatrick who is known for his collage-like aesthetic. Rose-Ann used the objects to highlight the film’s key events with the Cadillac as the main element.
For Vice, the dead-serious comedy about Dick Cheney’s journey to the White House, Jennifer Forrest refers to the work of Corita Kent, who is famous for politically-charged typographic serigraphs. Moreover, the themes Corita Kent treats in her work are closely parallel to those portrayed in the movie: poverty, racism, war and social injustice.
To illustrate A Star is Born, the tragic lovestory between a seasoned musician and a struggling artist, Thanh Nguyen got his inspiration from the iconic collage “Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?” by British artist Richard Hamilton.
JC Moreno wanted to portray Roma’s main character Cleo as a heroine persevering against all odds, so he chose the style of Jack (King) Kirby to do so. The poster is in black and white, just like the film and Jack Kirby’s sketches.
Did we put a spark in you and got you eager to design a poster yourself? If you do so, submit it to our poster competition presented by fritz kola! Find more info 
In the infamous area around Place Pigalle, the former red light district of Paris, the wickedness never really left. You can feel it in the atmosphere or in a not so subtle way at the entrance of Hotel Amour were guests are greeted by a smiling Mickey Mouse with an enormous and shiny penis.
The hotel owner André first had the idea of an hotel, because he and his friends were missing a cool place to gather after partying or to sleep after a night out. For him it was the natural next step to open such place himself.
For him, the most important things for a good hotel are flawless tidiness, the best bed linen money can buy, good service – and what’s very important for him – good lighting. The aspect, that makes this ‘good hotel’ extraordinary is that certain something that breaths in soul. In the case of Hotel Amour and Grand Amour the soul comes from André and his befriended Artists who were involved in the design and decor. While walking through the halls and rooms of the hotel you find pieces by M/M Paris, Jean-Philipp Delhomme, Alexandre de Betak, Sophie Galle, Pierre Le-Tan, Glenn O’Brien, Olivier Zahm, Mark Newson and many more.
Every artist involved has a unique style, different approaches and their own statement, which makes both hotels to the exciting places they are. But for André nothing is ever finished, everything is a process, therefore the premises are ever changing and never the same.
What you don’t necessarily see at the first glance, every piece of art and furniture is from the personal collection of André and his partner Thierry Costes (owner of the Parisienne Hotel Costes). All of it unique and fancy – and only original artworks, even the prints by Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton!
Unfortunately the artists André wants to work with the most are no longer with us. He often imagines what rooms designed by Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp or Pablo Picasso would have looked like.
Since he is not the only street artist with his own hotel, he often gets asked what he thinks about Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel in Palestine and his opinion is clear: He absolutely loves it! According to him it is one of the best projects he has seen in a while. That will probably change soon, since he is already working on his next hotel opening. The spot he chose for his new project stands apart from the others, for it will be in Portugal by the beach. He imagines a place were artists not only spend their vacation, but also for them to work there for a longer term. Since it is only approx. 25 minutes away from Lisbon, the guests can easily go to the city for a night out, when they get bored on the countryside.
We already booked our flights, so we're off – Bye then!
Find more info about André Saraiva