Behind the Scenes: How New Emojis Are Chosen and Designed

Emojis are everywhere. They show up in texts, emails, social posts, and even on billboards. But have you ever wondered how new ones get made? It’s not random, and it’s more detailed than most people think.

Who Picks the Emojis? Meet the Unicode Consortium

The Unicode Consortium sounds like a sci-fi group. But it’s very real. This non-profit organization decides which emojis make it onto your phone. They manage the global standard for text. That includes every letter, number, and symbol you type. Their job is to make sure writing works on all devices, in every language.

Members include Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others. These tech giants pay to be part of the process. It’s a system that relies on coordination, timing, and constant updates, like a live betting experience, where every second matters.

It Starts With an Idea

Every emoji begins with a simple idea. Anyone can submit one—even you.

Want a “bubble tea” emoji? Or a “disco ball”? First, you must fill out a proposal. And it’s not a quick form. You need to show:

• Why will people use it
• If it’s popular or widely known
• How it looks across cultures
• If it fills a gap (Example: A plain pink heart was missing for years)

The proposal also includes a sample image and keywords for searching.

The Review Process: Months of Waiting

Once submitted, your idea goes through several steps:

• The Emoji Subcommittee reviews it
• They check for duplicates or confusion
• They look at cultural sensitivity
• They vote on whether to move it forward

Many ideas get rejected. Some don’t meet the rules. Others may be too narrow (like a particular local food) or too open to misuse. It takes about 18 to 24 months for an emoji to go from idea to phone.

Design Rules and Guidelines

Every emoji needs to work on all devices, big or small, Android or iPhone. This means the design must be simple. Too much detail gets lost. Think bold shapes, clear colors, and a strong silhouette. Emojis must look good at the size of a fingernail.

The Unicode Consortium gives a general description. For example: “A face showing shock with wide eyes and open mouth.” Then, companies like Apple or Samsung design their own versions. That’s why the same emoji can look different across devices but they all represent the same code.

Why Are There Skin Tones and Gender Options?

Representation matters. In 2015, the Consortium added five skin tone options using the Fitzpatrick scale. Later came gender-inclusive emojis.

Now, people can pick a “police officer” emoji as male, female, or neutral. More updates keep coming to reflect how people identify themselves. This process wasn’t fast. It took pressure from users and researchers who saw the lack of diversity.

Why Some Emojis Get Rejected

It would be a crazy world if every emoji got accepted. Here are common reasons for rejection:

• Too specific (like one country’s snack)
• Already covered by an existing emoji
• Trend-based and likely to fade
• Confusing or hard to draw simply
• Might be used in harmful ways

A good emoji must be clear, useful, and easy to recognize. So, no “left-handed spatula” emoji just yet.

How Companies Add Their Style

Each platform makes its own art. Apple’s emojis look shiny and 3D. Google is flatter and simpler. Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp all design theirs too.

They all follow the same Unicode description but add their brand’s style. That’s why a “laughing face” may look slightly different depending on what phone or app you use. These designs go through internal teams, then are updated with software releases.

When Do New Emojis Arrive?

New emojis usually roll out once a year. After approval, they’re added to the Unicode Standard. This means they get a unique code that devices can read. From there, it’s up to phone makers to update their systems. iOS, Android, and others add new emojis during major software updates.