{"id":70947,"date":"2021-07-12T18:12:17","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T08:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elements.blog-cms.envato.net\/?p=14268"},"modified":"2025-11-11T17:49:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T06:49:41","slug":"emoji-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/emoji-design","title":{"rendered":"World Emoji Day: Angela Guzman On the Secrets Behind Emoji Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the last decade, emojis<\/a> have become a key way of communicating for many. Evolving from simple smiley faces and thumbs up to complex designs such as tacos, mermaids and even flaming hearts, emoji design<\/a> has expanded well beyond messaging apps and social media. The renowned little icons have seeped into mainstream graphic design<\/a>, web design, fashion, marketing and advertising<\/a>. In fact, emojis have become so popular that since 2015 there\u2019s even been a dedicated World Emoji Day to celebrate them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Are Emojis Used in Design? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Colorful, playful and universally understood, emojis evoke a sense of fun and simplicity. When it comes to design, they\u2019re great for replacing text, adding instructions or an eye-catching visual element \u2013 plus, they\u2019re quick and easy to understand. Emojis have become so well-loved that they\u2019re now commonly used across a range of platforms \u2013 including websites, apps, newspapers \u2013 as well as in the design and marketing of a wide range of brands from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the World Wide Fund for Nature, to Sephora and the Huffington Post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One reason why emojis work so well in design is because they tap into a key design principle \u2013 repetition. Due to their recognizability, emojis allow designers to employ sense of familiarity \u2013 making your brand or visual identity<\/a> immediately identifiable. Whether you want to declutter your design<\/a>, reduce blocks of text, or simply make your work more relatable, there\u2019s no denying that emojis are a fun, easy and incredibly useful modern design element. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With World Emoji Day<\/strong> just around the corner (Fun fact: July 17th was chosen for World Emoji Day as it\u2019s the date famously displayed on the Calendar Emoji), we thought it was time to dive into the wacky world of emojis. And who better to take us on this journey than the one of the original designers of Apple\u2019s emojis? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet Apple Emoji Designer, Angela Guzman<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Back in 2008, Angela Guzman<\/a> graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and started an internship at a little company you might just have heard of \u2013 Apple! Her first and only project was to create a fresh set of 500 \u201cemojis\u201d \u2013 a term that, at the time, she had never heard of before. Little did she know that this seemingly simple design project would turn out to change her life, career and the future of emojis forever. After co-designing the original set of Apple emojis, Angela went on to work as a part of Apple’s Human Interface Design team, contributing to the conception, design, and development of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces we know today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirteen years later, Angela is a super successful UX designer, entrepreneur and business owner working in Silicon Valley alongside other tech leaders. Having previously worked with Google, Airbnb, and, of course, Apple to name a few, Angela is now the founder and CEO of her own startup Tijiko<\/a> \u2013 a personalized digital coaching platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were lucky enough to sit down for a chat with Angela to learn all about her experience co-designing the first Apple emojis, how emojis have evolved from then to now, and her best words of wisdom for aspiring designers\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi Angela! Can you describe yourself in emojis? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

?<\/a> ? ?\ufe0f ? I\u2019m a mom to an incredible kiddo, a designer and entrepreneur who\u2019s always up for a good laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your background and how did you get into design?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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