Ulysses Voelker initially trained as a deckhand and completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter and worked in these professions before beginning his studies in communication design. After working as an art director, Voelker set up his own design studio. At the same time, he taught as a lecturer in typography and was appointed to Mainz University of Applied Sciences in 2000, where he taught until his retirement in 2019. Communication designer Michael Schmitz worked at the Designlabor Gutenberg in Mainz for several years during his studies and beyond. He has been running his own studio in Cologne since 2017.