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Chapter Six:
PROMOTING YOURSELF
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Stefan Sagmeister has never bothered to do any
self-promotion, save a change-of-address-style
postcard when he opened his shop in New York.
“We basically don’t do any self-initiated self-pro-
motion. We haven’t even done a Christmas card,
ever. We have never sent out a press release,
ever.” Despite this fact, Sagmeister consistently
has to turn clients away.
This admonition also belies the fact that
Sagmeister does not actively create self-
promotional materials to gain business; rather,
he uses his design work to promote himself,
creating posters for talks that he gives in New
York and around the world, such as the one
shown here for the Viennese museum, MAK.
He considers these projects to be client work
because he does not pay for the materials or
LET THE WORK SPEAK FOR ITSELF
STEFAN SAGMEISTER
120
printing, yet he is able to render something new
that is associated with both him and the talk he
is giving. These posters actively add value to
Sagmeister, whether the viewer associates them
with the man or the studio.
In addition, Sagmeister participates in design
shows but has never created work solely for this
purpose. Sagmeister CD design work is prolific.
He often asks the client for a hundred or so
finished CDs to send to friends and clients—sort
of a self-promotional gift. “We send them out to
get work and also to friends at other labels. But
we basically send out the CD and a letter, so
that people in the street know what we just did.
That’s been working quite well for us. Because
we try to design packaging for music we like,
most of the CDs we package have good music.”
MAK poster, designed by Stefan Sagmeister
S
TEFAN
S
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