Ulm School of Design

school, Ulm, Germany

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June 25, 2026

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The Ulm School of Design, known in German as the Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm (HfG Ulm), was an influential design school in Ulm, Germany, operating from 1953 to 1968. It is often considered a successor to the renowned Bauhaus school.1

The school aimed to foster a new approach to design, emphasizing a rational and systematic methodology. It focused on training designers to address the complexities of modern industrial society. Key figures associated with the school include Otl Aicher, a typeface designer and corporate-branding specialist. The Ulm School of Design significantly influenced postwar graphic design and corporate identity.1

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Max Bill
…was rector (1951–56) of the Ulm School of Design, Germany. He designed the school’s buildings, planned its curriculum, and was director of the department of architecture and product design there. He then served as a professor of environmental design at the State Institute of Fine Arts, Hamburg (1967–74). In 1987…
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…was rector (1951–56) of the Ulm School of Design, Germany. He designed the school’s buildings, planned its curriculum, and was director of the department of architecture and product design there. He then served as a professor of environmental design at the State Institute of Fine Arts, Hamburg (1967–74). In 1987…
Read More