What you need to know
- Microsoft has redesigns and new inclusions for its emoji library, totaling 1,888.
- Clippy is one such redesign.
- The emoji are live right now on Flipgrid and will reach Windows and Teams later this year.
Just one short day after Microsoft shook the world with its Clippy redemption challenge, the tech giant has seen fit to announce an overhaul of its emoji library. This isn't just a few redesigns or new inclusions; graphic designers have gone hard in the paint with 1,888 total emoji made in a modern aesthetic.
A lot of thought went into these emoji, as evidenced by Microsoft's announcement post on the subject. For example, head emoji have been deliberately changed not to be perfect circles. As told by the post, "people aren't perfect, so why should our graphical representations be?"
However, the new emoji also pay less attention to reality, depending on the category. Take, for example, the redesigned crab. It no longer tries to be realistic. Instead, it utilizes vibrant colors and "chunky, graphic shapes" to give itself more personality, all via circular shapes and lush hues.
And the emoji redesigns also have a soft spot for nostalgia, hence Clippy's new job as the dedicated paperclip depiction.
The emoji are live in Flipgrid right now and will find their way to Windows and Teams by holiday season 2021. They'll come to Outlook, Yammer, and other services in 2022.
Microsoft's announcement post also notes the Fluent aesthetic is taking over Microsoft 365 in ways that extend far beyond just emoji. Backgrounds, themes, illustrations, and more are on the docket for playing a part in changing Microsoft's aesthetic. However, until the aesthetic collage is complete, we can be content with some new goofy faces to pester colleagues with.
