For those who've wondered how the emojis on digital keyboards get chosen -- and, more specifically, who the gatekeepers are behind that decision -- 'Emoji Request' is a site that's aiming to democratize the process. The site offers a host of completely new emojis and allows users to vote on them, ultimately submitting the most popular emojis to the Unicode Consortium.
The Unicode Consortium is the body that controls all the characters on digital keyboards: not only emojis, but even letters, punctuation, numbers, etc. The Unicode Consortium has criteria for emojis that include both technical (e.g. compatibility with various platforms and devices) and cultural (e.g. likelihood of use) aspects.
The company behind Emoji Request, EmojiXpress, is experienced in satisfying these criteria, and it will submit detailed, strong proposals for the most voted emojis on its site.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Democratized Emoji Selection
- Opportunity for companies to create similar platforms to allow users to vote on and submit new emojis.
- Crowdsourced Ideation
- Opportunity for companies to create platforms for users to submit and vote on new ideas for products or services.
- Community-driven Decisions
- Opportunity for companies to involve their audience in decision-making through platforms where they can vote and provide feedback.
Where This Applies
- Digital Platforms
- Opportunity for digital platforms to leverage user-generated content to enhance their offerings and engage their audience.
- Language and Communication Tools
- Opportunity for language and communication tool companies to involve their audience in the development of their products and services.
- Consumer Insights
- Opportunity for companies to gather valuable insights into consumer preferences and trends through crowdsourced ideation and voting platforms.
