diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f2c708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# serde-ts
+
+a library for serializing and deserializing javascript objects
+
+# Usage
+
+this library makes no assumptions about formats and loosely follows the architecture of Rust's [serde](https://serde.rs/) crate. the major difference are the particular data types. serde-ts's internal data model contains the following types
+
+## `serde-ts` data types
+* null/undefined
+* boolean
+* number
+* bigint
+* string
+* symbol
+* function
+* object
+* iterable
+* class
+
+with the exception of iterables and classes, these types were chosen as they are the ones provided by Javascript's native `typeof` operator which is used internally for type checking.
+
+there are four interfaces which are relevant to `serde-ts` users.
+
+## `Serializer`
+
+a `Serializer` is responsible for transforming the internal `serde-ts` data model into the target serialization format. this means that it will have a `serialize<Type>` function for each of `serde-ts`'s data types.
+
+## `Deserializer`
+
+a `Deserializer` is responsible for transforming the target serialization format into the internal `serde-ts` data model. it will have a `deserialize<Type>` for each of the `serde-ts`'s data types.
+
+## `Serialize`
+
+`Serialize` is responsible for transforming a value *to* the internal data model. for example, a `Vector2` may be internally serialized as an iterable of numbers.
+
+## `Deserialize`
+
+`Deserialize` is responsible for transforming a value *from* the internal data model. it is the inverse of `Serialize`. depending on the `Deserialize` target, it may accept an iterable of numbers and produce a `Vector2`.
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/ser/impl.ts b/src/ser/impl.ts
index 400e5db..13fe7cb 100644
--- a/src/ser/impl.ts
+++ b/src/ser/impl.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import { ISerializeObject, ISerializer } from './interface'
-import { isPlainObject } from '../utils'
+import { ISerializeObject, ISerializer, Serialize } from './interface'
+import { isObject, isPlainObject, PrimitivePrototype } from '../utils'
+import { GlobalRegistry, Registry } from '../registry'
 
 class UnhandledTypeError extends TypeError {
   constructor(serializer: ISerializer<unknown>, value: any) {
@@ -7,7 +8,7 @@ class UnhandledTypeError extends TypeError {
   }
 }
 
-function serializeObject<T, V extends object, S extends ISerializeObject<T>>(serializer: S, obj: V): T {
+function serializeObject<T, U extends object, S extends ISerializeObject<T>>(serializer: S, obj: U): T {
   for (const key in obj) {
     const value = obj[key]
     serializer.serializeEntry(key, value)
@@ -16,13 +17,21 @@ function serializeObject<T, V extends object, S extends ISerializeObject<T>>(ser
   return serializer.end()
 }
 
-function serializeClass<T, V extends object, S extends ISerializer<T>>(serializer: S, value: V): T {
+function serializeClass<T, U extends object, S extends ISerializer<T>>(serializer: S, value: U): T {
   const name = value.constructor.name
   const ser = serializer.serializeClass(name)
   return serializeObject(ser, value)
 }
 
-export function serialize<T, V, S extends ISerializer<T>>(serializer: S, value: V): T {
+function getSerialize<T, U>(value: U, registry: Registry): Serialize<T> {
+  if (isObject(value)) {
+    return registry.serializers.get(value.constructor) as Serialize<T>
+  }
+
+  return registry.serializers.get(PrimitivePrototype[typeof value]) || defaultSerialize as Serialize<T>
+}
+
+function defaultSerialize<T, U, S extends ISerializer<T>>(serializer: S, value: U): T {
   switch (typeof value) {
     case 'string': return serializer.serializeString(value)
     case 'number': return serializer.serializeNumber(value)
@@ -40,3 +49,8 @@ export function serialize<T, V, S extends ISerializer<T>>(serializer: S, value:
   }
 }
 
+export function serialize<T, U, S extends ISerializer<T>>(serializer: S, value: U, registry: Registry = GlobalRegistry): T {
+  const ser = getSerialize<T, U>(value, registry)
+  return ser(serializer, value)
+}
+
diff --git a/src/ser/interface.ts b/src/ser/interface.ts
index a7b37b9..9fd5462 100644
--- a/src/ser/interface.ts
+++ b/src/ser/interface.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,6 @@ export class Serializer<T> implements ISerializer<T> {
 }
 
 export interface Serialize<T> {
-  <U, S extends Serializer<U>>(serializer: S, value: T): U
+  <U, S extends ISerializer<U>>(serializer: S, value: T): U
 }
 
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 23e8b06..877fd86 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ export interface ToString {
   toString(): string
 }
 
-export function isPlainObject(value: any): boolean {
+export function isObject(value: any): value is object {
+  return typeof value === 'object'
+}
+
+export function isPlainObject(value: any): value is object {
   return Object.getPrototypeOf(value) === Object.prototype
 }
 
@@ -42,3 +46,18 @@ export class IterResult {
   }
 }
 
+export function Null(...args: any) {
+  return null
+}
+
+export const PrimitivePrototype = Object.freeze({
+  undefined: Null,
+  boolean: Boolean,
+  number: Number,
+  bigint: BigInt,
+  string: String,
+  symbol: Symbol,
+  object: Object,
+  function: Function
+} as const)
+