Motivated by a desire to gain a deeper, more individualized understanding of visual communication in a contemporary context, Symbols of Self is a book documenting a journey of experimentation and contemplation that explores alternative modes of making meaning. It is an exploration of contemporaneity through multiple lenses. While subjective and highly personal, this work is deeply considered and inspired. It is an assertion of personal identity through design. Part time capsule and part manifesto, it aspires to serve as a foundational roadmap for the future — a guide for making and being.