Google's Noto 3D Emoji Design Process: A Labor of Love

Google's Noto 3D emoji design process was a labor of love that involved 'drawing, sculpting, and debating every single character by hand' to preserve the emotional clarity of each symbol. Unlike other designs that treat emojis as miniature scans of the natural world, Noto 3D prioritizes illustration over realism.

The team found that highly anatomical details slow down brain processing of emotion, so they removed extraneous detail and kept facial geometry minimal. They also discovered that excessive props and texture destroy comprehension, making background features and accessories 'visual static' at 18×18 pixels.

In going from flat assets to three dimensions, Google asked questions like 'What does the back of a smiley face look like?' They found examples like how the poodle emoji only had three legs. The team also moved away from floating heads and instead used complete silhouettes to communicate intent, especially when depicting real animals.