A set of 45 pictorial symbols, impressed by stamps on an apparently more than 3,700 years old circular tablet, made by clay (the Phaistos Disk) was the initial point of an international design project. At four universities located in New York (Parsons The New School for Design), Beirut (Lebanese American University Beirut), Cologne (Academy of Media Arts Cologne) and Hong Kong (Academy of Visual Arts, HKBU), the 45 symbols of the Phaistos Disk were thematised in typography classes during the academic year 2012/13. Students analysed, defined and designed their individual set of 45 symbols, reflecting their personal as well as cultural background.