.png)
Emoji use continues to rise around the world as digital communication becomes more visual, fast-paced, and cross-cultural. From Slack messages to email subject lines, emojis now help convey tone, emotion, and personality in our workspaces.
They can soften a message, signal humour, or add a human touch to digital text. But emojis also carry different meanings depending on context, and their use can sometimes create confusion or even cause harm. As more teams work across time zones, platforms, and cultural backgrounds, it is more important than ever to use emojis with care and intention.
Emojis are not a universal language. Their meanings shift across countries, regions, and languages. For example:
💡 Tip: If you’re working with a global team, take a moment to check how an emoji might be interpreted in other places. Emojipedia is a great place to start. Learn more about why emojis mean different things in different cultures.
Just as culture affects meaning, so does age. Different generations often use the same emojis in very different ways.
It’s not about having a right or wrong emoji, but about knowing your audience and staying curious. Emojis can carry different connotations depending on the generation. How Gen-Z uses emojis is fascinating but undoubtedly confusing to some.
What an emoji looks like on your phone or computer might be different from how it appears to someone else. Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, and other tech companies each design their own emoji sets. The differences are subtle but can affect tone and clarity.
For example:
💡 Tip: If your message depends on a specific tone, check how your emoji appears on other devices using Emojipedia.
For those using screen readers, emojis are read out loud based on their description. For example, 🍒 will be read as “cherry.”
Accessible design is thoughtful design.
The default yellow-toned emoji was originally intended to be “neutral,” but many people read it as white. To avoid reinforcing this default:
💡 Tip: On Slack and other platforms, you can set your default emoji skin tone in your preferences.
Use emojis that challenge stereotypes. For example:
This small act helps reflect the world as it really is.
Some emojis may seem playful to one person and inappropriate to another. Emojis like 🍆, 🍑, 💦, and 🤏 have taken on sexual or mocking meanings online and in workplaces. Even when used jokingly, they can signal sexual harassment or contribute to an unsafe culture.
Digital communication is still communication.
We love emojis, and our team members share an emoji as part of our daily check-in, along with a few short reflections. Sometimes it is hard to find the words to explain how we are doing, but there is usually an emoji that can help us say it.
That said, not everyone on our team uses them in the same way. Some people prefer a more minimal approach. Others express themselves more fully through emojis. We hold space for both and have established shared expectations about when and how emojis are used, such as in team chats versus client communications.
💡 Tip: Have a team conversation about emoji use. What feels respectful, clear, and aligned with your team values?
In recent years, emoji options have grown to reflect more races, genders, and abilities. But there is still room for improvement. What about emojis that reflect:
Representation is not a trend; it is a practice. As we continue to move through an increasingly digital world, our symbols, no matter how small, shape how we see each other and ourselves.
Let us know. Inclusive communication starts with paying attention to the details, even the ones we text.
This blog is not meant to be a static guide, but rather a compilation and reflection of our learnings to date. Everything changes - from technologies and innovations to social norms, cultures, languages, and more. We’ll continue to update this blog with your feedback; email us at hello@feminuity.org with suggestions.
This blog was written collaboratively by members of the Feminuity team.
If you wish to reference this work, please use the following citation:
Feminuity. "Inclusive Emoji Use in a Digital World: Emojis at Work, Done the ✨Right Way✨"
