NTT DoCoMo Emoji / Tokyo, Japan
Shigetaka Kurita
Kurita used a 12-by-12-pixel grid to solve a practical communication problem and created the foundation of a visual language now used across the world.
Founder Record
Shigetaka Kurita designed the original set of 176 emoji while working on NTT DoCoMo's i-mode mobile internet service in 1999.
Timeline
- 1999Designed 176 emoji for NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service.
- 2008Apple included emoji for the Japanese iPhone market.
- 2010Unicode standardization enabled emoji to spread across platforms.
- 2016MoMA acquired the original emoji set for its collection.
Defining Record
- Designed the original 176 emoji for i-mode
- Worked within a 12-by-12-pixel technical constraint
- Saw the original set enter MoMA's collection in 2016
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01 / Ledger case fileThe 12-by-12 Grid That Changed CommunicationShigetaka Kurita was solving a character-limit problem when a severe pixel constraint led him to design the original 176 emoji.10 minute read02 / Founder recordMelanie PerkinsPerkins spent years converting a broad ambition—make design simple enough for everyone—into evidence investors and technical recruits could trust. Her record is less a rejection fable than a study in sequencing: prove a narrow workflow, assemble complementary co-founders, and widen the product only after the interaction model works.Canva / Sydney, Australia03 / Field noteThe Geography of InnovationRemote work changed access, but place still shapes capital, talent, networks, customers, and the knowledge a company begins with.Founder Ecosystems04 / Company recordNTT DoCoMo EmojiThe 12-by-12-pixel grid that changed communicationMobile communications and interface design / Founded 1999