Making of 45 Symbols—Clay to Code

We’re very excited to share that 45 Symbols—Clay to Code is currently in production and approaching its final stages!

Edited by Olivier Arcioli, Pascal Glissmann, and Andreas Henrich, the book explores how research findings, personal experiences, and complex ideas can be translated into concise visual identities. Inspired by one of the most enigmatic objects in media history—the 3,700-year-old, still undeciphered Phaistos Disc with its 45 engraved symbols—the publication invites readers to discover how contemporary designers and artists develop systematic visual languages.

Over more than a decade, The Phaistos Project–Forty-five Symbols has evolved into an international design seminar series and a global community shaped by open calls, workshops, exhibitions, and risograph publications. The present volume brings together over 2,000 symbols, ranging from personal narratives to global themes, and documents collective experimentation, bold approaches, and intercultural dialogue. More than a finished archive, the book reflects an ongoing process of research and exchange.

Great care has been taken in the production of the book. 45 Symbols—Clay to Code is offset printed by Stober Medien and finished with thread-stitching by Buchbinderei Spinner, underlining the project’s commitment to material quality, craftsmanship, and longevity.

Preorder your copy now to make sure you have 45 Symbols—Clay to Code in your hands as soon as it is published.