GOOGLE ARTS & CULTURE
Making AI-Powered Hieroglyph Translation Accessible to Everyone
The Challenge
Turning specialist AI research into an experience anyone could understand.
The Hieroglyphics Initiative had already demonstrated that machine learning could support the translation of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. The next challenge was very different: making that research accessible to a global audience.
Google Arts & Culture wanted to create an experience that would inspire curiosity about one of the world's oldest written languages whilst remaining grounded in genuine Egyptological research. It needed to appeal equally to school pupils, lifelong learners, museum visitors and academics without oversimplifying the subject.
The challenge was therefore not simply technical. It required combining machine learning, educational design, storytelling and digital experience design to transform specialist research into something engaging enough for a global public audience.
Our Approach
Designing for curiosity, learning and exploration.
Rather than beginning with the technology, Psycle began with the audience.
We designed the experience around three simple journeys: Learn, Play and Work, allowing visitors to discover Ancient Egyptian writing at their own pace before exploring the underlying research and tools in greater depth.
Every aspect of the experience was carefully considered, from the brand identity, illustrations and character design through to the educational content, interactive activities, animations and user experience. The objective was to make a complex subject feel approachable whilst preserving the integrity of the underlying research.
By designing for curiosity first, the technology became almost invisible, allowing machine learning to enhance the experience rather than dominate it.
The Solution
An educational platform combining learning, creativity and research.
Psycle designed and developed Fabricius as a complete AI-powered educational platform that combined interactive learning, creative exploration and open research within a single digital experience.
Alongside the machine learning capabilities developed through the Hieroglyphics Initiative, Psycle created the complete public-facing ecosystem, including branding, visual identity, UX/UI design, educational content, interactive learning experiences, animation, video production, the supporting website and the open-source research workbench used by academics around the world.
The platform enabled visitors to learn about hieroglyphs, experiment with translation techniques and explore the research for themselves, demonstrating how AI could be transformed into an intuitive educational experience.
Technology included
Psycle transformed pioneering machine learning research into a complete digital experience that invited anyone, anywhere in the world, to explore, understand and engage with one of history's oldest written languages.
The Outcome
A globally accessible learning experience built on pioneering AI research
What began as specialist machine learning research evolved into a globally accessible educational platform, bringing the study of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to audiences far beyond the academic community.
By combining educational design, storytelling and AI within a single experience, Fabricius demonstrated how complex research could be transformed into an engaging public resource without compromising academic credibility.
Fabricius reached millions of people worldwide, supporting learners, educators, museums and researchers whilst showcasing how thoughtful product design can make advanced technology accessible to everyone.
KEY RESULTS
- 591,000+ visits to the Fabricius platform
- 3.5 million video views worldwide
- 2 million social engagements
- Global launch through Google Arts & Culture
Case Studies
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