Independent design studio.
Art direction, visual identity, and type.
I am Lena Schmidt. I founded Spirit & Bones in 2020.
Art direction, visual identity, and type.
I am Lena Schmidt. I founded Spirit & Bones in 2020.
Focusing on drawing and painting I earned a Diploma in Fine Art from the University of Fine Arts Hamburg (HfBK) with Prof Matt Mullican and Prof Mari Jose Burki In 2011. Afterwards, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design from HAW Hamburg in 2020. In my studies I focused on editorial design and typography with Prof Stefan Stefanescu, and specialised in calligraphy and type design with Prof Jovica Veljović. From 2007-2010 I received a scholarship from the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des dt. Volkes) and took part twice in the Fountainhead Residency Program in Miami, USA. Since 2025, I teach Type Design and Typography at KW Designakademie.
Spirit & Bones combines commissioned work and my ongoing independent design projects. Artistic thinking paired with design expertise informs every project I take on.
I also run Spirit & Bones Type Foundry, publishing my original typefaces. I released six typefaces to date, with further releases currently in development.
Services
Typography and Type Selection
Strategic typeface selection, typographic direction and custom lettering.
Visual Identity
Brand identities, design systems and distinctive visual languages.
Brand identities, design systems and distinctive visual languages.
Editorial Design
Books, publications and printed matter with a strong typographic focus.
Books, publications and printed matter with a strong typographic focus.
Type Design
Original typefaces developed via Spirit & Bones Type Foundry.
Original typefaces developed via Spirit & Bones Type Foundry.
Art Direction
Concept, creative direction and visual development.
Concept, creative direction and visual development.
Typography is at the core of my practice. One of my key expertises is understanding how type shapes perception and in knowing which typeface, typographic voice, and level of detail gives a project the right character; their proportions, rhythm, tone, cultural associations, and the way they behave within a larger visual system. I approach typography as a fundamental part of the design, not as an afterthought; whether selecting an existing typeface or a developing a custom one. Finding the right type is what makes a design stand out.
Publications