After training as a manufacturer of print templates, Lars Harmsen studied visual communication in Basel and at Pforzheim University. During his studies, he founded the design agency MAGMA in Karlsruhe in 1995.

Since 2011, he has taught conception, layout and typography at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He initiated the student design platform www.sugarscroll.de In 2018, he was Associate Professor of Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah/UAE.

Harmsen is the editor and founder (2004/2014) of Slanted Publishers and author of numerous design and typography publications. He is the founder of the typeface publisher Volcano-Type. Since 2008, he has been a partner and creative director of Melville Brand Design, Munich. Since 2014, he has been running the screen-printing project Poster Rex together with Markus Lange. Harmsen is a jury member of various design and typography awards. He has received over 100 national and international awards for his work.