Whirlscape
Whirlscape, originally known as Minuum, is a Toronto-based company specializing in innovative keyboard applications, including the Emoji Keyboard, Facemoji Emoticon Keyboard, and iKeyboard, which collectively offer a wide range of emojis, emoticons, stickers, and GIFs.
Company Overview
Whirlscape, formerly known as Minuum, is a consumer-focused company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The company operates within the social sub-industry and has a small team size of three. Founded by Shigetaka Kurita in 1999, the company is notable in the field of emojis and keyboard applications. Whirlscape participated in the W14 batch of Y-Combinator, expanding its reach across Canada and the United States.
Emoji Keyboard Products
Whirlscape has developed several keyboard applications, including Emoji Keyboard, Facemoji Emoticon Keyboard, and iKeyboard. Emoji Keyboard offers more than 3000 emojis and emoticons. Facemoji Emoticon Keyboard, an all-in-one app for Android, provides over 3500 emojis, stickers, and GIFs. iKeyboard features a vast array of emojis and emoticons, colorful themes, and regularly updated GIFs. These keyboards replace the default keyboard applications on Android devices, providing enriched messaging experiences.
Innovation in Emoji Technology
Whirlscape stands out for its innovative emoji technology. The company allows users to create custom emojis, avatars, and stickers. Features such as Emoji Minis and Bitmoji enable users to design personalized avatars and emojis for use in chat messages. The applications support sending these creations to other people, irrespective of whether they use the same app. Additional features include customizable avatars where users can modify aspects like hair color, shape, and clothing.
World Emoji Day
July 17 is celebrated globally as World Emoji Day, a testament to the widespread impact of emojis. This particular date is crucial for Whirlscape, aligning with the company’s focus on emojis and digital expression. Emojis have been an integral part of digital communication since their integration into iOS 6's keyboard. The Unicode Consortium recognizes 2,666 official emojis, reflecting their importance in global communication.
Historical Significance
Emojis, initially created by Shigetaka Kurita in 1999, have grown significantly in importance. Notably, 176 of Kurita's original emojis were included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2016. Emojis have penetrated mainstream media and pop culture, with their inclusion in Oxford Dictionaries since 2013 and extensive use on platforms like Twitter. The ‘face with tears of joy' emoji is the most used emoji on Twitter, demonstrating the medium's popularity and influence.