Finally, something good.

The Long Now Foundation welcomes

Stefan Sagmeister

Finally, something good.

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Amid the stark reality of a world facing the aftermath of an unprecedented global pandemic, natural disasters, and political turmoil “Finally, Something Good” presents tangible evidence that, when assessed from a long-term perspective, most aspects of human development have improved.

Using relevant data from the United Nations, World Bank, and other global and national databases, Sagmeister artfully transforms the numbers into captivating visual representations that yield resonant understanding. By embedding information into eclectic mediums — antique paintings, clothing, sculptural objects, and installations — Sagmeister bridges the past and present, while telling a hopeful story of progress over time.

Why This Talk Matters Now

In a nonstop news cycle of crisis and outrage, Sagmeister’s work presses pause. This talk will give us a moment to reflect on the bigger picture. Sagmeister makes long-term progress more palpable, more perceptible, more human-scale. This talk won’t deny the present-day metacrisis, but will situate our current moment within the long upward arc of human advancement in health, education, safety, and quality of life. In doing so, he’ll challenge the helplessness that arises when we give into the panic, and falsely believe the future is in uncontestable decline.

The Long View

Sagmeister’s approach reinforces a core Long Now principle: we must see beyond the present moment to meaningfully steward future generations. His talk provides tools for thought and action to cultivate an expanded temporal awareness. Sagmeister’s work demonstrates how perspective itself is a design problem. By showing that collective human action has produced measurable gains over centuries, his work restores a sense of participation in history.

Learn More

• READ Sagmeister’s view on the long term
• WATCH the trailer for The Happy Film, an exploration of the psychology of happiness directed by Sagmeister, featuring Long Now alum and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt
• LISTEN to Sagmeister collaborator David Byrne’s Long Now Talk “Good News & Sleeping Beauties” from 02019

Stefan Sagmeister has designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO, and the Guggenheim Museum. He’s a two time Grammy winner and also earned practically every important international design award.

Stefan talks about the large subjects of our lives like happiness or beauty, how they connect to design and what that actually means to our everyday lives. He spoke 5 times at the official TED, making him one of the three most frequently invited TED speakers.

His books sell in the hundreds of thousands and his exhibitions have been mounted in museums around the world. His exhibit "The Happy Show" attracted way over half a million visitors worldwide and became the most visited graphic design show in history.

A native of Austria, he received his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a master’s degree from Pratt Institute in New York.

The Long Now Foundation is a globally-recognized champion of long-term thinking and responsibility, operating within the context of the next and last 10,000 years — a timespan we call the long now. Launched by Stewart Brand in 02003, Long Now Talks has invited more than 400 leading thinkers to share their civilization-scale ideas with a live audience on stage in San Francisco and with millions more around the globe through our podcast and videos.