Why Graphic Designers Should Open Their Own Studio | Twos Talks with Stefan Sagmeister | #7

Stefan Sagmeister is an Austrian graphic designer based in New York, best known for his independent studio practice, his co-founding of Sagmeister & Walsh, and his deeply personal approach to visual communication. In this exclusive in-person Twos Talks interview, he talks about his career, his philosophy of responsibility, and why he believes graphic designers should open their own studios. In this episode, Stefan talks about: • Why he makes time to connect with young designers • His view on Istanbul • Learning what not to do while working sixteen-hour days at a major ad agency in Hong Kong • Becoming a creative director early in his career • Collaborating with Tibor Kalman at M & Co. • Why graphic design is one of the easiest businesses to run • What kind of designers and artists he would hire in his studio • Who the best design students really are • Why graphic designers should open their own studios • The story behind his iconic AIGA poster made with his own body • Physically engaging himself in his design work • How to truly own a design even when working with clients • Why handmade design can still be the best choice • His favorite graphic designer • And his famous one-year sabbatical ritual every seven years Timecodes 00:00 Intro 00:20 Stefan Sagmeister 01:28 Istanbul 03:07 Helping young designers 07:30 Working in an ad agency 11:14 Working with Tibor Kalman 13:00 Opening your own studio 14:45 A design studio today 19:40 Which designers to hire? 23:55 AIGA Poster 27:20 A human & personal design 32:59 ad break 34:10 Art for people vs for galleries 40:22 Happy project 43:05 Trying different disciplines 45:20 Sabbaticals 53:45 Stefan's favorite designers & artists 📸 Stefan Sagmeister Portrait by: John Madere & Marco Scozzaro 🎨 Design and artwork courtesy of Stefan Sagmeister Inc (https://sagmeister.com/) Intro animation by: Miray Erdeve Camera: Yasin Yavuz 👉 Subscribe for more episodes of Twos Talks 👉 Merch: https://shop.twosstudio.com/ 👉 Full Twos Studio video archive and exclusive articles: https://twosstudio.com/ 👉 Support us on Patreon: / twosstudio