As I hop on a Zoom call with Sagmeister to discuss the merits and perils of provocation in design more generally, and to do a deep dive into his premise that humans are living in better times than ever before, I’m pleasantly greeted with a backdrop of colourful collages and framed artwork hanging on the rear wall. It certainly set the mood for the uplifting message conveyed by his ongoing project Now is Better, through a series of exhibitions and a book published by Phaidon Press in 2023.