Home / ATypI 2026 Stanford
Date Thursday, May 28th 2026
Venue Stanford University / Alumni Right

From Stone to Screen – Designing a Maya Hieroglyphs Typeface from the Classic Period

Alexandre Bassi Alexandre Bassi

Maya hieroglyphs represent one of the most elaborate and fascinating writing systems in the Americas. Due to its graphic richness and the complexity of its structure and composition, this script has not yet been integrated into the Unicode Standard. This research seeks to propose an innovative typographic solution by developing the first Maya typeface capable of accurately representing and rendering hieroglyphs from the Classic Period, exploring both the technical challenges and the cultural considerations inherent in adapting an ancient script for contemporary digital use.

Affiliated with the Script Encoding Initiative, UC Berkeley, the project draws on the complementary expertise of collaborators from archaeology, linguistics, computer science and type design. It aims to develop a typeface that strikes a balance between respecting the semantic value of the original sources and optimizing its digital representation. By pioneering the encoding of Maya hieroglyphs, this initiative directly addresses current concerns regarding communication, accessibility, preservation and revitalization of a writing system.

By fostering the dialogue between language, design, and cultural heritage, this effort intends to provide researchers, enthusiasts, as well as contemporary Maya communities with a tool for the study, preservation and use of Maya hieroglyphs. More broadly, it enhances understanding and appreciation of Maya culture and history, while paving the way for future research.
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Alexandre Bassi
Speaker

Alexandre Bassi

Alexandre Bassi is a French type designer and researcher. He holds a master’s degree in type design from the École de Communication Visuelle in Paris, and completed a post-master’s program at the Atelier National de Recherche Typographique (ANRT) in Nancy, France. During these two years of research, he led a project on the development of digital typography for Maya codical hieroglyphs, as part of the Missing Script project, in collaboration with the Script Encoding Initiative, UC Berkeley, and the University of Applied Sciences in Mainz, Germany.

His practice is structured around three areas: type design, teaching, and research. It evolves through commissions, the creation of typefaces for foundries and independent designers, as well as self-initiated projects. He also teaches typography and type design. He is currently involved in a multidisciplinary, collaborative project to develop a typeface for Classic Period Maya hieroglyphs, affiliated with the Script Encoding Initiative, UC Berkeley. The project aims to define, shape, and facilitate the encoding of the Classic Maya writing system within the Unicode Standard."