BREAKING NEWS! Google is getting rid of the blob emoji in Android O and replacing them withĀ monstrosities!
While this may be a polarizing issue for some, I firmly believe that the flat design of the blob emoji is superior toĀ what they will be replaced with in the next Android version. Flat Design, and its offshoot Material Design, have becomeĀ synonymous with all things Google. Whether itās the Inbox app, or stock Android itself, the design style is so prevalent thatĀ you instinctively know where its from.
Itās recognizable, and a stamp of quality. Iām applying Material Design toĀ my appĀ (which is available for anyone who wants to test itĀ š ) because it makes it look and feel a lot more clean and professional, while still allowing a lot of room for creativity.
The new emoji design is theĀ oppositeĀ of recognizableā¦ lets take a closer look.
I will admit thatĀ the police officer in Android 5.0 looks like aĀ slug, but the Android O emoji look like Google is trying to be more like Apple,Ā and failing. They added unnecessaryĀ lines,Ā colours, andĀ gradients, which just make the design more complicated for nothing.
Iām a fan ofĀ simple,Ā concise design. Take a look at this pillow and wall decal from MontrealāsĀ STM:
Wall decal in the style of Montrealās metro map.
Itās simple, enduring, and as far as Iām concerned, beautiful. All things that the new Android O emoji are not.
On the positive side though, the weird blob shapes will finally be gone! While I have grown fondly attached to them, I recognize that they are super strange and a sore spot for many Android users. For me, the ideal emoji refresh would involve killing the blobs, but keeping the sameĀ flat styleĀ that makes themĀ great!
Or better yet: letting usersĀ change their emoji sets on their own without having to install sketchy themes or other non-native workarounds.
What do you think? Do you care about how your emoji look?Ā Let me know in the comments, and if you like this blog post, donāt forget to subscribe! š
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