An Emoji Is Worth a Thousand Words

When Angela Guzman began her internship at Apple in 2008, she was tasked with designing emojis—the company’s very first. At the time she didn’t know what the word meant—or that the tiny icons she and her mentor created would soon be used by millions of people, sharing joy, surprise, rage, agreement, exuberance, and love. After that pivotal internship, Guzman completed her master’s degree in graphic design and went on to work for several top tech companies, continuing to probe the role of design in user experience and communication.

Tell me about your childhood and how you become interested in design?

I was born in Bogotá, Colombia. At the age of 8, I moved to a tiny island in South Florida called Key Largo. The contrast was pretty vast. I didn’t speak any English, so there were lots of hurdles. At school I would get stuck because I couldn’t understand or be understood. I thought, “Well, everyone understands a picture! Why don’t I start drawing to communicate?” That’s what I did. From these chicken scratches I became known as the artist in the classroom, from third grade through my senior year of high school. That led me to go to Rhode Island School of Design and then to my master’s program in graphic design.

At Apple, what was your reaction to the assignment to design emojis?

My director at the time gave me the assignment. I was so embarrassed because I didn’t understand what he meant! I asked, “What’s an emoji?” He laughed and said that it was an icon, an image, a type of illustration. I saw this giant list of emojis, and he explained that I would be partnered with a mentor. That’s when I met Raymond, who coached me through the process and became a lifelong friend.

How do emojis capture human emotion so well?

At a high level, you study tiny microexpressions and then simplify and exaggerate them in an illustrative manner. For example, the eyebrows make a V in anger and an inverted V in surprise. Big eyes may convey excitement, surprise, and happiness. The shine also matters—making sure the eyes are glossy or that objects like the apple have a nice gloss to it. That shine is captivating to the eye.

How did you create object emojis?

We often used real-life objects. If I was rendering a dress or a pair of shoes, I’d look at a real dress or a real pair of shoes. When I made the party popper emoji, I went to the party supply store and bought a party popper to look at the confetti that came out, the gold gloss, and how light reflected off of it. That’s hard to capture, especially in that tiny size.

Is communicating with emojis unique or distinct in any way? What emojis do you tend to send?

I often send hearts or the party popper. I find them very expressive and festive. In my opinion, sometimes words don’t capture that sentiment. It’s like giving someone a hug. It feels good when you receive it. And it’s harder to express through words over text.

Emojis have become a nonverbal way of communicating, especially in the digital form where we’re not physically next to each other. We don’t get to see if somebody is worried or excited or if there’s a little irony in their tone. Emojis help fill the gap.

What’s also interesting is when we look at faces, like a smiley face, it triggers similar brain activity as when we see a smile. It’s like, Oh, there’s joy here!

The tears-of-joy emoji is one of the most used emojis. Why do you think that is?

I think people might gravitate toward it because it captures two feelings in one. Laughter, but such an extreme of laughter that you’re crying. It’s so hard to say that in writing over text. I’m not going to write, “I have tears of joy!”

Do you use any emojis in unusual ways?

One I use is the upside-down smile. I use it when I feel as if I’ve been on a roller coaster—it’s like tumbling through something, but in a positive way.

Have any lessons from designing emojis stuck with you throughout your career in design?

One thing I’ve carried with me is inclusivity—empathy for communities worldwide. For example, I pay close attention to what the symbolism of a color means and cultural symbolism overall. During my time at Google, I worked on the Google Assistant, and these cultural questions were important: How do we make sure that every culture, every accent, every person who speaks to these devices feels included? The experience wasn’t just for English speakers or people with English accents—which was something I struggled with early on. This kind of thinking opened my mind to be inclusive and mindful of everyone who used the product.