I write many posts that cover important, weighty subjects. This will not be one of those. As I scrolled through my Microsoft 365 Admin Message Center this week, I saw an item about emojis that would soon be rolling out. Microsoft said in the announcement that they were porting (my term) emojis to the “new Microsoft Fluent emoji style, bringing users a more vibrant and expressive emoji experience.” If you use words like “vibrant” and “expressive” … you might be in Marketing.

What is new about these new emojis?

• Most of them are three-dimensional vs. two-dimensional.
• Most of the emojis are animated.
• They tend to use bright colors.
• The emoji heads are no longer perfect circles.

Here is a sample of the new emojis:

What is Your Emoji Style?

You might not be excited about the prospect of using emojis. A year ago, I might not have been excited about new emojis either. But then I helped an organization roll out Microsoft Teams and… guess what? Users wanted to know if there would be more or fewer emojis available compared to their current instant messaging solution. Apparently, I had underestimated the power of a well-placed emoji.

Why the New Emojis?

Why not? If you are a fan of emojis you do not need any explanation.

However, there are people who give serious thought to emojis. Here is an explanation from “Art Director and Emojiologist” (I am not making this up) Claire Anderson. She makes some interesting points about the blending of work and play, and the need we all have experienced for deeper connection with our fellow remote workers. Claire gets paid to think about emojis and I do not. So, I am going to pass on further philosophical musings. (But do check out her article. She is looking for feedback on some potential emojis reflecting current events. I especially like the emoji of the office worker wearing a blazer, pajama bottoms and slippers.)

You should begin to see these emojis by the end of March.