FL@33, contact@flat33.com | Custom Emoji

CUSTOM EMOJI | MIND BLOWN
Asked by long-time collaborator Gavin Lucas, 'If you could create a new emoji, what would it be?', FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek developed a custom emoji that was included in Gavin's book The Story of Emoji that FL@33 also designed (Prestel, March 2016).
___ The emoji – now known as Exploding Head – was eventually approved as part of Unicode 10.0 in 2017 under the name “Shocked Face with Exploding Head” and added to Emoji 5.0 in 2017. We all have it on our smart phones these days.
___ A total of 33 custom emoji by 23 designers and illustrators are featured in the book's chapter 'Designer Characters'.
___ We posted some variation studies, sketches and roughs here, too, for your viewing pleasure, and also some preview sample spreads on the book's project page.

THE STORY OF EMOJI | PAGE 167
‘There are a couple of missing emoji that I would use a lot. A “no brainer” and also the “mind blown” emoji that I chose to create on this occasion. This emoji would replace my regular use of emoticons O_O and O_o and the alternative “OMG” and “un-be-lievable” to express utter astonishment.’
Tomi Vollauschek, FL@33

EMOJI SERIES | BUTTON BADGES AND PRINTS
FL@33's graphic art label Stereohype collaborated with Gavin Lucas and 21 talents featured in The Story of Emoji to launch the Emoji Series – 31 button badges featuring bespoke emoji designs as seen in the book. The button badge series launched as part of the book launch exhibition at KK Outlet, London, and its private view in April 2016.
___ The 'Mind Blown' motif was also released with an alternative blue background in June 2017 when Tomi's custom emoji was included in Stereohype's Button Badge Motif Print series where it is now also available with white and blue background.