Now is Better

Stefan Sagmeister's newest project encourages long-term thinking and reminds us that many things in the world are improving.

Initially conceived in 2020 as the world entered pandemic lockdown, Stefan Sagmeister has created a book that looks at the state of the world today, illuminating, through collected data, how far we've come, and encouraging us to think about where we can go from here. Statistics are vividly brought to life, as numbers are transformed into graphs, inlaid into nineteenth-century paintings, embroidered canvases, lenticular prints, and hand-painted water glasses. The book includes a foreword from psychologist and leading authority on language and the mind, Steven Pinker; a featured essay by graphic designer and historian Steven Heller; and a conversation between Sagmeister and Hans Ulrich Obrist, curator and artistic director of Serpentine Galleries in London and will appeal to all visually minded readers, providing a positive reaction to the tumultuous news cycle of recent years. Published in softcover with flaps Now is Better is contained within a die-cut slipcase and accompanied by a lenticular print designed by Sagmeister. Now is Better is an intriguing and thoughtful visual meditation on our daily lives.

‘You couldn't wish for a finer companion with which to start the transition into 2024.’ – Elle Decoration

‘An optimistic take on human progress.’ – Creative Review  

‘Now is Better is an intriguing and thoughtful visual meditation on our daily lives.’ – PRINT Magazine

'We have nothing but praise for Stefan Sagmeister.' – Creative Boom

'A thought-provoking blend of old and new.' – Design Boom

‘Unquestionably beautiful.’ – SixtySix

‘Through exquisite graphic arrangements and sharp data sets, he shows that our circumstances are still improving. Now is indeed better.’ – The Slowdown

‘This is a book that will touch people’s hearts and improve their minds.’ – Travel by ENTREE

‘[A] gorgeous page turner.’  – Gray Magazine

Stefan Sagmeister formed the New York-based Sagmeister Inc. in 1993 and has since designed for clients as diverse as the Guggenheim Museum, the Rolling Stones, and HBO. His work is in museum collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna. He teaches in the graduate department of the School of Visual Arts in New York.

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