Stefan Sagmeister
Revolutionize creative thinking with Stefan Sagmeister, speaker, graphic design and human experience expert. Stefan works with organizations to enhance visual storytelling, workplace creativity, and behavioral insights, delivering Grammy-winning expertise for clients including Guggenheim Museum and HBO.
New York, United States
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Stefan founded Sagmeister Inc. in 1993, producing album covers for Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, and Talking Heads, earning two Grammy Awards for music packaging. He has partnered with major institutions including the Guggenheim Museum and HBO, and teaches in the graduate design department at the School of Visual Arts. His exhibitions, including The Happy Show, Sagmeister & Walsh: Beauty, Now Is Better, and It’s Getting Better, explore happiness, beauty, and long-term thinking through interactive installations, data visualisation, typography, film, and sculpture. His approach combines personal experimentation, cognitive research, and creative risk-taking, placing individual experience in a broader psychological and social context.
Audiences gain insights into the intersection of design, human behavior, and perception, learning to rethink creativity and engage more deeply with ideas, data, and aesthetics. His talks are suited to conferences, workshops, and events where inspiration and practical approaches to innovation intersect.
Book Stefan to explore creativity, design, and the human experience through compelling visual storytelling.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
Stefan Sagmeister explores why creativity, happiness, and beauty deserve a central place in how we think about the modern world. Drawing on decades of design work, personal experiments, and psychology research, he challenges the idea that beauty is merely decorative, highlighting that aesthetics shape behaviour, wellbeing, and creativity. Through striking visuals, data, and personal stories, Stefan reframes how we view progress and perspective, revealing how long-term thinking can lead to better decisions, stronger ideas, and more hopeful creativity.
Stefan Sagmeister asks a simple but unsettling question: is the world really getting worse, or are we losing sight of the bigger picture? In a visually rich exploration of long-term data and design, he contrasts the relentless negativity of modern news cycles with centuries of measurable human progress. Transforming statistics into unexpected works of art, Stefan offers a provocative shift in perspective, showing how understanding long-term trends can reshape how we think, create, and respond to the challenges of today.
Looking for a custom keynote or workshop designed around your company’s goals and culture? The expert will create a tailored, interactive session that aligns with your objectives, values, and strategic priorities. From leadership and innovation to wellbeing and collaboration, each experience is built from the ground up to deliver measurable impact and lasting change.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about booking an expert speaker, facilitator, host or entertainment for your event.
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- We’ll take your event details — topic, audience, budget, date, and location — and create a custom speaker proposal for you within 48 hours.
- If you already have someone in mind, that’s okay too; just let us know their name! Even if they aren't listed publicly on our website, we have a huge network and work with almost everyone.
- Once you've reviewed our speaker propsal and have selected and expert shortlist, we'll double check availability and fees with your chosen expert.
- You're welcome to have a chemistry call with the speaker before making the final decision, too.
- Next, we'll send out contracts to confirm the booking. One of our experienced event producers will liase with both you and the talent on the finer details, and arrange travel if necessary, taking the stress off your plate.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
We do not accommodate requests for birthday messages or any other personal, non-commercial contact with the speakers, comedians or entertainers.
We work with speakers across a variety of fee ranges, giving you the flexibility to choose someone who fits your event's needs. Virtual keynote fees in the UK and Europe typically start at £2,000, while in-person top-tier speakers can reach £25,000. In the US, virtual in-person fees range from $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the speaker and format, such as after-dinner talks, conference keynotes, Q&As, or podcasts. Comedians generally start at £1,500 or $2,000 for a 20-minute set.
Our goal is to help you find the speaker who best matches your event’s goals and budget. We take the time to understand your event, objectives, and audience to recommend the right fit. The most expensive option isn’t always the best one, and our priority is finding the ideal speaker or expert for your needs; not the highest-priced one.
Reach out for personalised recommendations and detailed information on specific speaker fees. We’re here to offer a tailored service and are always happy to discuss your unique requirements!
There’s no additional cost for our services beyond the speaker fee — simply contact us to find the right speaker for your next business or team event. We can also work with your corporate procurement team to negotiate favourable long-term rates, simply email hello@getapeptalk.com for more information.
Partnering with PepTalk means elevating your events with our curated roster of top motivational speakers, industry experts, delivering punchy keynotes that leave a lasting impact. From talent selection, to contracts and logistics, we handle it all. We have global expert network, with over 3000 speakers from over 33 countries on our line-up.
We also provide a full range of talent, from event hosts and moderators to interviewers and corporate entertainment, ensuring your event’s success from start to finish.
PepTalk workshops are interactive learning experiences for leaders at all levels, blending theory with practical insights from industry experts. These programs, led by experienced facilitators, are designed to drive real mindset changes and equip participants with actionable skills. Workshops can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs. Explore our workshop examples and contact us today to learn how your team can benefit.
If you notice something that needs attention or have any queries regarding an expert speaker profile, feel free to email us at experts@getapeptalk.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.