People are ‘without a doubt’ the most difficult emoji category, a Microsoft designer says.
Microsoft is still working on 3D emoji for Windows 11, a designer for the software giant said.
Nando Costa, a distinguished designer at Microsoft, described the company’s efforts to create 3D emoji in a blog post.
The company promised 3D emoji for Windows 11 and other products last year, but went for a flatter 2D instead in a development that has been dubbed “Emojigate.”
Microsoft had explored the use of fingerprint indentations to convey human influence in the making of each design, as well as a staccato quality to animations that was akin to stop motion.
“But in the end, given that our customers would be experiencing them in mostly small sizes, we felt this was not the approach forward as the most delightful details would be lost,” he said.
Costa said that people, “without a doubt” was the most difficult emoji category.
“How can a single emoji capture the essence of a human being and yet remain inclusive of the unique qualities we all possess?” he asked. “An impossible task, right?”
After three iterations for the people category, Costa said the team “reached an aesthetic balance between the graphical look and feel we wanted, and the utterly important human qualities we needed.”
In the final version, Costa said the head shape came in three different types: genderless, female and male.
“Each creates enough space for variations of skin tone, hair, and facial hair to easily work as a connected system, while also standing apart.
Costa said Microsoft’s design team is constantly working on new ideas.
“We plan to continue creating new designs every year based on new Unicode releases and will also explore investments in our own exclusive concepts,” he said.
