Era of Emoji Museum Exhibit

The Challenge

To inform an audience of a topic of our choosing, I was challenged to consider how all the visual elements from the flooring to the lighting would contribute to the story and overall experience of the exhibit. I wanted to tell the story of the world’s recent fascination of emojis.

Collatoral

Because emojis are such illustrative characters, a marketing campaign which focuses on the expressive, visual forms of Shigetaka Kurita’s original emoji set will be eye-catching. Levels of hierarchy using scale and color will tie together design elements throughout the entire experience.

Tickets are randomly assigned a color profile upon entry, guests are encouraged to visit the exhibit multiple times to collect them all!

The Booklet

Consolidating all of the related information into a presentation booklet for the client ensures the objectives for the exhibition are within their hands. To help achieve this, everything from the floor plans to the color palette is included. The information is presented from research to conception, with scale people in all elevation drawings to give context to the design size.

The Method

Originally meaning pictograph, the word emoji is a combination of the Japanese words e (絵, “picture”) + moji (文字, “character”). These tiny, emotive pictures help to add emotional nuance to otherwise flat text. Without them, it’s more difficult to determine the meaning behind a message. To fully understand and appreciate their cultural impact, I wanted to show the context of their development through the physical space of an exhibit.

This process started by researching and reading about the timeline of emojis, from their pixel perfect beginnings designed by Shigetaka Kurita in 1999 to the most recent additions to commemorate compassion and solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I mapped out what areas to include throughout this exhibit which would best reflect the story I wanted to tell in the physical space. Guests will experience an introduction to emoji vocabulary and a brief history overview before entering a wide open space. The core of the exhibit is designed with the freedom to explore and play in mind.