Things I have learned in my life so far, Updated Edition

by Stefan Sagmeister, Daniel Nettle (Contributor), Nancy Spector (Contributor)

In 2006, Stefan Sagmeister published Things I have learned in my life so far , a book born from a running list he keeps in his diary. With the support of his clients, Sagmeister began transforming these personal maxims into typographic artworks, which appeared on billboards, in magazines, and in public spaces all over the world. The result is an intriguing blend of personal revelation, visual audacity, and examination of the pursuit of happiness.
This revised and updated edition includes all of the aphorisms from the first book along with an additional 48 pages of new ones, and incorporates recent material from Sagmeister’s exhibitions at the Deitch Projects gallery in Soho and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, as well as his current project, The Happy Film . The book retains its unique packaging, now with 18 unbound signatures gathered into a laser-cut slipcase.

Genres: Design, Art, Nonfiction, Art Design, Memoir, Creative, Biography

296 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2013

About the author

Stefan Sagmeister (born 1962 in Bregenz, Austria) is a New York-based graphic designer and typographer. He has his own design firm—Sagmeister Inc.—in New York City. He has designed album covers for Lou Reed, OK Go, The Rolling Stones, David Byrne, Aerosmith and Pat Metheny.

Reviews

[Cindy Pham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great design & visuals. I love the dynamic covers and how they can be swapped out with each pamphlet to create a new look each time. It's the most innovative approach I've seen to book packaging, although the content leaves more to be desired for analytical readers. I would've rated the book higher if Sagmeister had explained the reasoning behind his conceptual choices and how they relate to his maxims. His philosophy isn't particularly unique or original, but the conceptual choices to convey those maxims are, and I wish we had more of a "behind the scenes" look into those creative decisions.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sagmeister is a pretentious a**, and this book bangs you over the head with that realization repeatedly and frequently. Thankfully the way it does that is through innovative, gorgeous, controversial, and downright batsh*t insane type design and installation art, here packaged as a nifty bundle of signatures in a crazy laser-cut slipcase with interchangeable faces. 5 for the design/visuals + 2 lack of real ideas/content = 3.5 overall.

NB: This is NOT in any way a monograph of Sagmeister, Inc. For a full retrospective of his/their work, check out Sagmeister: Made You Look, currently only available in a UK edition but due to pub in the US in 2009.

[Michael Bohli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ja, Stefan Sagmeister ist als Grafiker und Designer nicht leise - viel eher drückt sein Ego bei den Arbeiten immer wieder durch. Umso interessanter ist es darum, mit "Things I have learned in my life so far" direkten Einblick in das Denken und persönliche Schaffen des Künstlers zu erhalten. Denn die hier publizierten Werke sind keine konkreten Auftragsarbeiten, sondern visuelle Darstellungen eigener Leitsätze. Von kleinen grafischen Arbeiten bis zu größenwahnsinnigen Affen aus Plastik und Videos voller Gesetzesüberschreitungen findet man hier alles.

"Things I have learned in my life so far" ist passend zur Thematik auch kein durchgehendes Buch, sondern ein Schuber mit einzelnen Broschüren. Diese können in jeglicher Reihenfolge genossen werden und bieten zu jeden Projekt (also zu jedem Leitsatz) eine Bilderserie und erklärende Texte. Das macht die Lektüre wunderbar leicht und fast interaktiv, inklusive etwaigem Lerneffekt und Selbstreflexion. Man sollte aber Sagmeister gegenüber sehr positiv eingestellt sein, sonst könnten diese Sammlung schnell etwas nerven.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stefan Sagmeister is much-loved by the design community and is emulated by scruffy design students around the globe. For a while I was weary of how self-referential his work is, until I went to a talk he gave at my former college, where his charm and wit quickly outweighed my reservations about the guy. It is really hard not to like Stefan Sagmeister.

This series of 14 booklets each outlines one or two pithy maxims per booklet (i.e. "Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses" or "Complaining is silly. Either act or forget"). Each of these simple sayings is illustrated in gorgeous and experimental typography, often constructed from a wide variety of real-world materials like cactus, hot dogs, industrial tubing, tape, people, etc. Along with the typographic illustrations is a page or two describing the events which led Sagmeister to make each realization. Despite many of the maxims being close to common century-old phrases, Sagmeister manages to make them personal, fresh, and memorable.

[Salem · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Trying to look good limits my life."

"Thinking that life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now."

"Complaining is silly. Either act or forget."

"Low expectations are a good strategy."

[Curtis Meeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome design book to read when you have downtime at work or at home. Each pamphlet takes about 5 minutes to get through and typically spurs new ideas. As always, Sagmeister & Walsch produce wildly creative, colorful work that really (honestly) pushes design forward. And it's fun to play with.

[George Quiroz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy is great at Graphic Design. But the way he sees LIFE is the best part of it all.

[Gary Crossey · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most impressive cover (packing design) for a book sleeve. Which in all its glory does not quite work (the sliding leaflets get stuck in the die cuts). Reading the content, I was a bit disappointed how repetitive the message was (with complete sentences repeated 2-3 times). If I had to read about him taking a year off again... like really, there are only 20 or so pages with text on them (not much to read) certainly no reason to repeat.

There is something about being a designer that you want to provide the right solution for the outcome. Stefan Sagmeister message (with the monkey installation) was that two prior clients turned the monkey installation down - and it wasn't until a third client said yes. Seemed more like pitching the same idea until someone bites (and then make it fit to their message). In another part of the copy, there is talk about beginning design with no set idea - which is the complete opposite of pitching preconceived notions and designs. Most of the designs did take the written explanation to grasp any understanding to... which is kinda of sad for graphic design should be able to stand on its own merits without a written explanation.

BTW - it unlawful to piss in public in the United States too. Even urination on private property if seen from a public place can get you convicted as a registered sex offender. I always start design projects with research (I think most good graphic designers do) so not knowing that pissing is unlaw would certainly have been understood prior to presenting a pissing poster. It just seems like lazy design options.

As the account with Debbie Millman - Stefan Sagmeister left her to clean up the mess, and it seems that that's his design approach - do your bit and leave the fallout for others to deal with.

[Bivisyani Questibrilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like everyone who studied Visual Communications, I first learnt about Sagmeister at uni. That's also when I found out about this conceptual book of his and I was intrigued ever since. Never, though, in all my years, did I think I would ever get my hands on it.

Maybe I don't expose myself to enough design books, but I feel like design books tend to feel less personal and often told in the third person POV. But reading this book is almost like reading a sliver of Sagmeister's diary—which we now know he does keep. I suppose that is already a given once you read the title. Sounds pretty personal.

In this book, Sagmeister talks not only of the project itself—the client, the brief, the process, etc—but also of his own experiences in which he may have taken the lesson as he states in each piece. It shows a lot of his character—which obviously he puts into his work as well. It humanises him in a way that his artwork might not be able to.

My personal favourite is the story behind the project Over Time I Get Used to Everything and Start Taking It for Granted. There's a certain element of mischief there and it feels very New York, somehow—well, my interpretation of the city anyway. Apart from it all, I also believe the statement to be true and, as I ponder it, being able to take something for granted has a double meaning. It could mean we have become ungrateful or it could also mean that that our quality of life is so good that we no longer see the novelty or grandeur in many things. This is somthing I'd thought of recently.

[Saprila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really thoughtful, his life experiences was filled with spontaniously act but has huge impact to his works and life. I thought in this book he would talking about his design works in super details, but what he learn throughout the process that written down was pure gold as well.

I would say 3.5/5 but the star wouldn’t let me :/

[Vicky Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've owned this book for years and years now but this is the first time I've ever read the text. It was, unfortunately, underwhelming. But the concept and the list itself still warrant four stars. My favorite of Sagmeister's learnings: "Trying to look good limits my life."

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Quick flip-through*
Stefan beautifully, and sometimes daringly, displays creativity beyond pen and paper, and Photoshop. He does so while illustrating unconventional yet relatable life lessons he has learned (which I will not list, because you NEED to see his visuals that complement them).

[Maddie Archambault · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Stefan. I love his point of view and his attitude. He’s really an inspiration for graphic designers everywhere. He blurs the line between art and design and raises graphic design to a higher level. It doesn’t just have to be shitty banner ads and pamphlets guys!! Look at Stefan!!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and enjoyable read. I especially enjoyed the essay by Daniel Nettle on The Pursuit of Happiness, and the format of the book which is a collection of booklets inside a box.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sehr spaßig auf eine inspirierende Art

[J.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only are Sagmeister's creations innovative, but the book that showcases them joins them as a reworking of an everyday item into something extraordinary. The fifteen folios have individual covers and the casing has a porous face, allowing the reader to customize the look of the book. Inside the folios are the typographical displays Sagmeister created to state the aphorisms he began writing in his diary, along with a brief explanation of each one. One of the sayings, "If I want to explore a new direction professionally, it is helpful to try it out for myself first," is written in multiple scripts using sugar. In his exposition Sagmeister wrote that "if [the sugar] was too willful, I would punish the sugar by licking it up." For me this book was an introduction to the work of Stefan Sagmeister, and it was a delight. The only drawback is that it must be shrink wrapped to protect it from over-handling, which requires a customer to purchase it practically sight unseen.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Stefan Sagmeister is my favorite designer. His previous design book "Made You Look" is a classic. His new one is even better. The "book" is made up of 14 separate small pamphlets, that live in a "box" with Sagmeister's face on it. The face on the box has elaborate holes cut in it, and depending on the order of the pamphlets inside, the cover can look 14 different ways. The pamphlets document design projects that were based on a list of aphorisms about "things I've learned," like "Low Expectations are a good strategy," or "Drugs are fun in the beginning but become a drag later on." The ingenuity evidenced in realizing a way to present each of these aphorisms in a public manner takes the notion of design into the real of public art and conceptual art. Beautiful, and occasionally creepy, high-concept mingled with the occasional gross-out, Sagmeister sets the bar for contemporary design very high indeed.

[Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite designers. Sagmeister is (at least to me) the epitome of what a graphic designer should be. He also fulfills my theory that the best designers are also hilarious.

This book is full of brilliant advice, hilarious (and also surprisingly touching) advice/observations on his life. There are a literal list of things he has learned, each accompanied by beautiful and inventive work that will inspire you. It’s hilarious, conceptual, smart, and most of all relevant. To everyone. The only thing that sort of bothers me is that while it is all (of course) brilliantly designed, the book itself is actually an odd 20 or so smaller books, which are sort of a pain to fit back into the case. My only complaint though, honest.

I would argue that even if you despise graphic design/art/witty people in general, there’s something in here for everyone. Read it.

[Marcus Leis Allion · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Organising a charity group is surprisingly easy. Running a charity is surprisingly hard. Once the initial euphoria and energy evaporates the project turned into a regular and repetitive endeavour. I tried to circumvent this by looking for and finding successors to organise subsequent months, which worked reasonably well for a number of years until the job of finding a successor itself became repetitive and, with me teaching a semester abroad the program came to a halt” - Sagmeister.

Like the Pied Piper, this book will lead those enamored with surfaces away from Heidegger's world and back into Plato's cave never to be ‘seen’ again.

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/crblo...

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Low expectations are a good strategy.

Also:

Complaining is silly. Either act or 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 doses.
Having guts always works out for me.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironically I'm not particularly interested in what Sagmeister has to say, because he says it all in his ambitious typographic installations, but I do love the format of the book/s.

I got to see him speak at agIdeas conference this year, and he speaks pretty much of the work in this book. Not particularly motivating to my surprise, but still provoked some reaction in me, which is more than I can say for other designers that spoke. I can see why his holier-than-thou posturing will "annoy" some though. But a bit of vanity never hurt anyone, especially in this fierce world of seeking the individual self.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book features the work of graphic designer, Stephan Sagmeister, from a project Things I Have Learn in my Life So Far. My younger sister, Theresa (who is studying graphic design), received this book for Christmas and recommended it... even though the design of the book itself is enough to recommend itself! I gave this title a five star rating to commend Sagmeister's ideologies and works... and for putting together a one-of-a-kind book! If you are looking for a better understanding/appreciation for graphic design, this is the book for you! It is written for non-designers so don't be intimidated!

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more a design concept than a book. There are literally endless possibilities with the cover—the loose signatures can be rotated within the book case to create different effects under/through the portrait of the author's face. Pretty amazing. The maxims are very simple, yet provide valuable insights, and the essays are short and to the point. Not much reading here, so don't expect to take this one on a plane or to the beach. Awesome packaging from Sagmeister and his team.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book by my favorite designer, Stefan Sagmeister, that i absolutely love. it contains simple life lessons coupled with amazing graphics/imagery and awesome, awesome, awesome packaging! i don't know if non designers would enjoy it, i imagine that the overall message is universal. i love reading this book because it is incredibly inspiring and is a constant reminder that "complaining is silly. either do something about it or shut up".

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll keep it short and sweet. I find Sagmeister to be a bit pretentious, and I am jealous he is able to take time out from working to make these great pieces of work, but they are great pieces. I really love the organic type, the actual statements and the thought put into relating the words to the elements and process of the work. Plus, as someone who loves to change things around regularly, I love that the packaging allows me to switch out the "cover" as my moods change.

[Joanne Roach-Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not sure what I would think of this book...but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it! Some of the typography installations were really clever and surprising - but many were just okay.
What I really enjoyed was the concepts and processes behind the maxims. I was not familiar with Sagmeister's work prior to this (where have I been?) but now that I know of him I'm intrigued to see more of his work. This book was refreshing and inspiring!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

These days, design monographs really bore me, so I give design's patron saint and resident rock star his due for an inspiring read. He does amazing work, seems like a genuine, down to earth guy, and spared us the nude self-portraits this time around. But it's the honesty of his writing that endears him most. All in all a humbling and inspiring experience. I wish I knew him personally.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this at a Half Price Book's and the cover immediately caught my attention. Sagmeister is able to use photography and the stories that come from the actual taking of the photos to reinforce each "thing he has learned". I hardly can decide whether to re-read it or display it. It's a work of art.

[Stephanie Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have preferred a little more text... It's a design book and the work needs to speak for itself, but getting inside the head of the designer in his own words would have been great. A nice bonus is the dynamic cover - makes a bold statement and not seen among many other works. Overall a creative and inspiring capture from a classic designer.

[Pratul Kalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've seen so much of Stefan's work over the years -- thought provoking, provocative, downright nuts? However, this collection of his work and commentary in his own words was rather personal, for a change. I quite liked the emotions that come out in the book!

FWIW: it's quite short on content. One can probably go through the entirety of it in an hour or two.