As Far As I Can Tell

I love watching TED Conference sessions while easting my breakfast and this morning I ran across Stefan Sagmeister’s talk from 2004 entitled Yes, design can make you happy. He discusses other people’s projects that have made him happy but also shares some insights in the form of lists that are worth repeating here.

His first list is a distillation of what he likes about his job, what he strives to do more of in his professional life:

• Thinking about ideas and content freely, with the deadline far away.
• Working without interruption on a single project.
• Using a wide variety of tools and techniques.
• Traveling to new places.
• Working on projects that matter to me.
• Having things come back from the printer well done.

I interpret the last point broadly as being satisfied with with quality of your finished product. He also shared a longer list taken from his personal diary of the lessons he has learned so far in his life:

• Complaining is silly. Either act of forget.
• Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid, I have to live now.
• Being not truthful works against me.
• Helping other people helps me.
• Organizing a charity group is surprisingly easy.
• Everything I do always comes back to me.
• Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.
• Over time I get used to everything and start taking it for granted.
• Money does not make me happy.
• Traveling alone is helpful for a new perspective on life.
• Assuming is stifling.
• Keeping a diary supports my personal development.
• Trying to look good limits my life.
• Worrying solves nothing.
• Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small does.
• Having guts always works out for me.

Sagmeister has illustrated some of these lessons as magazine spreads and billboards, which can be seen in his Ping Magazine interview or SVA exhibition.