Born in Fulda, Germany, Martina Theisen studied communications design in Mainz.

She spent many years working for the television company, SWR Mainz. Now she works as a designer and illustrator. She creates fonts, as well as illustrates children’s books and school textbooks.

For Linotype Typentypo (2002, part of TakeType 4), she designed the display faces Linotype Creatures, Linotype Improfil Outline and Black (profiles of funny faces), Linotype Smileface, Linotype Maenneken and Linotype Astrolo (hand-drawn astrological symbols).