UTOPIA FANZINE

The vision of Ulm


What if design could shape not only objects, but society itself? This project reflects on the relationship between utopia and design, exploring how imagined ideals can become tools for real-world transformation. Through the work of the Ulm School of Design, design is revealed as more than creation—it becomes a way of thinking, questioning, and reimagining reality.


The pedagogical model of the HfG Ulm can be understood as the practical embodiment of the utopian ideas explored in this project. While utopia, from a philosophical perspective, represents the imagination of an ideal society, Ulm attempted to translate that 

abstract vision into a concrete educational system. Its teaching 

method—based on rationality, scientific analysis, and interdisciplinary knowledge—was not only about improving design processes, but 

about shaping a new kind of designer and, ultimately, a new kind of society. By combining disciplines such as mathematics, sociology, 

and semiotics with practical design work, Ulm sought to ensure that every object responded to real human needs while also promoting values like transparency, responsibility, and equality. In this sense, 

the school’s pedagogy functioned as a bridge between utopian 

thinking and reality: it transformed the idea of a better world into a method, turning design into a tool for social change rather than mere aesthetic production.


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The architecture of the HfG Ulm Building is not just a backdrop—it is part of the message. Designed by Max Bill, the building embodies a radical idea: that space itself can shape how we think, act, and relate to others. At first glance, it may seem austere—clean lines, no ornament, pure function. But that simplicity is intentional. Nothing distracts, because everything has a purpose.

Walking through its spaces means stepping into a system designed to encourage clarity and collaboration. There are no grand gestures or hierarchical layouts—only open environments that invite dialogue, movement, and shared experience. Here, architecture does not impose; it guides. It quietly suggests a different way of living, one based on equality, logic, and awareness.

This is where utopia becomes tangible. The same principles found in objects like the Ulmer Hocker—simplicity, versatility, honesty—expand to the scale of a building. Every corridor, every room, every proportion reflects the belief that design can improve not only objects, but society itself.

To enter this space is to experience an idea: that a better world is not only imagined, but carefully constructed—line by line, space by space.


 The Fanzine



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These visual pages are designed to interrupt the flow and capture attention. Inspired by the clarity and reduction of the Ulm School of Design, they use simple shapes and strong contrast to communicate ideas without words.

They are not decoration—they are moments to pause, reflect, and imagine. Just like the Ulmer Hocker, their simplicity invites interpretation. Instead of telling you what to think, they open space for you to experience the concept of utopia yourself.

 
 

There is no single way to read it. Like the Ulmer Hocker, it invites you to interpret, to question, and to engage. It’s not just an image—it’s a pause where design becomes thought.

 
 

Main Themes

Utopia

Design

Rationality

Society

Functionality

Innovation

Reconstruction

Education

Ideology

Simplicity


The architecture of the HfG Ulm Building has been a key inspiration for this project. Its clarity, structure, and reduction to essentials demonstrate how space can communicate ideas without excess. More than a building, it represents a way of thinking—where design is precise, purposeful, and deeply connected to society. This approach directly influenced the visual language of this project, where simplicity becomes a powerful tool for meaning.

 
 


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Credits

Author: Jakub Nesterowicz

IG account: @back.grround

Credits: All illustrations and texts presented in 

this fanzine have been created by me forming a unified body of 

work that explores visual language and narrative in a cohesive and expressive way.

 

Poject made in Madrid, Spain.

For more information contact through IG