World Emoji Day 2025: From Shorthand to Symbols
World Emoji Day 2025: From Shorthand to Symbols – How Quick Communication Has Changed
Today, 17 July 2025, marks the twelfth annual World Emoji Day.
At first glance, you might wonder what a celebration of digital symbols has to do with the business training we’ve been providing for generations. Yet there’s a very real connection between today’s emojis and the communication system Sir Isaac Pitman developed over 185 years ago. Both spring from the same human desire to express ourselves more efficiently, more clearly, and with greater speed. It’s what we do.
Before we explore the fascinating connections between past and present, let’s take a moment to appreciate how World Emoji Day came about. Jeremy Burge, founder of Emojipedia, established this celebration in 2014 and chose 17 July for a rather clever reason: it’s the exact date displayed on Apple’s 📅 calendar emoji and a symbol that perfectly represents its own purpose.
The Original ‘Emoji’ Innovation
Long before 😊 and 🔥 became part of our daily vocabulary, Sir Isaac Pitman was transforming how we communicate when he introduced his phonetic shorthand system in 1837, which uses a clever collection of symbols and strokes to capture speech with precision.
The parallels are striking. Just as emojis distil complex emotions into instantly recognisable symbols, shorthand transformed entire words into graceful curves and lines. Both systems share the same genius by taking something that is intricate and making it beautifully simple.
Both innovations faced considerable doubt and scepticism when they first appeared. With critics questioning if these new symbols would ever catch on, and yet as we know now, both became indispensable, proving that when you give people a faster, clearer way to communicate, they’ll embrace it wholeheartedly.
Digital Shorthand
We’re kicking things off by looking back at all of the fun from 2024 on a day created by Emojipedia. Of course, last year, the Most Popular New Emoji, the Most Anticipated New Emoji, and the Most 2024 Emoji were all crowned, and the winners were announced.
The most popular new emoji of 2024 was the ‘Face with Bags Under Eyes’, the perfect option that resonates with anyone juggling work, family, and perhaps a bit of upskilling on the side. It was followed by the ‘Splatter’ emoji and the humble ‘Shovel’.
Meanwhile, the all-time champions remain the classics: the red heart ❤️, the loudly crying face 😭 (perfect for both actual tears and laughter), and the fire emoji 🔥.
These symbols have become so embedded in our daily communication that we send a staggering 10 billion emojis worldwide every single day.
The Speed of Understanding
Just as Pitman’s shorthand students could eventually write 120+ words per minute, we’ve become incredibly fluent at reading emotional context from a string of emojis. A simple ‘Running late! 🚗💨😅’ instantly conveys urgency, method of transport, and apologetic humour in seconds flat.
We’re wired for connection. Every day, we search for quicker ways to share our thoughts, feelings, and experiences without losing the heart of what we mean to say. These tiny symbols have cracked the code, and they let us communicate with speed, precision, and personality all at once.
From Quill to Keyboard
Think about a Victorian secretary frantically scribbling curves and lines as her boss dictates a letter at breakneck speed. Now jump to today, and you’re thumb-typing a quick response between meetings, throwing in a 😅 to soften the blow of running late again.
Different centuries, same challenge. We’ve always been racing against time, searching for ways to capture thoughts and feelings before they slip away.
During our founder’s lifetime, those elegant symbols were a lifeline for anyone who needed to keep up with the spoken word. Secretaries, clerks, and journalists discovered they could suddenly match the pace of conversation itself. It wasn’t just about speed – it was about opening doors that had been firmly shut. Women flooded into offices, armed with this new skill that made them indispensable.
Sound familiar? Emojis have done something remarkably similar for our generation. They’ve democratised digital emotion, letting us add warmth to a cold text message or span the gap when we’re communicating across languages and cultures. That little heart emoji speaks the same language in Tokyo as it does in Manchester.
Both innovations share the same beautiful truth: when we give people better tools to express themselves, they don’t just adopt them – they transform them into something more powerful than we imagined.
The Learning Curve
We like to think we’re emoji experts, don’t we? After all, how hard can it be to stick a smiley face at the end of a text? But here’s the thing – we’ve all been quietly studying this new language without realising it.
Consider the delicate art of the crying emoji. Send 😭 after ‘I can’t find my keys’ and you express genuine frustration. Drop the same symbol after ‘My boss just told the worst dad joke ever’ and suddenly you’re crying with laughter. Same face, completely different emotion, and proof that your brain learned to decode that context somewhere along the way.
Then there’s the professional minefield. You want to show enthusiasm about a project without sounding like an overeager intern. Using too many exclamation marks could make you seem manic, and not using any emojis could read as cold or robotic. That perfect balance of warmth and professionalism? That’s a skill you’ve honed through dozens of awkward messages and careful observation of what works.
Looking Forward
As we celebrate World Emoji Day 2025, communication keeps shifting beneath our feet. The upcoming Emoji 17.0 is dropping 164 new symbols on us, including everything from a ballet dancer to an orca whale to a rather mysterious ‘hairy creature’ (yes, Bigfoot is getting his own emoji).
Meanwhile, the professional development space is buzzing with new skills and communication methods that would have baffled our grandparents.
Here’s what hasn’t changed: successful communication has always bent to fit the tools of its time. From Sir Isaac Pitman’s elegant curves to our colourful digital faces, the human drive to connect clearly and quickly never wavers.
The Modern Toolkit
Walk into any office today and you’ll find professionals juggling more communication styles than a Victorian secretary could have dreamed of. Formal business writing in the morning, emoji-laden team messages at lunch, video calls with clients, and social media posts that actually matter for business. Yes, even blogs like this one, which might surprise the old-school crowd.
The stakes have shifted, too. Just as mastering shorthand once separated the exceptional secretary from the ordinary one, today’s communication fluency can make or break your professional reputation. Know how to craft the perfect LinkedIn post? You’re memorable. Master the art of the well-timed emoji in team chat? You’re approachable yet professional.
From responding to a client’s urgent message, building rapport with new colleagues, or presenting to the board, your communication toolkit determines how others see you. The tools have evolved from quill pens to QWERTY keyboards to touchscreens, but the fundamental truth remains clear: confident communication opens doors.
Celebrating Communication Over the Decades
This World Emoji Day, take a step back and marvel at the communication changes happening right under our noses. We’re living through history, watching language evolve in real time.
Tomorrow morning, when you instinctively reach for that first 😊 or 👍, pause for a second and think about archaeologists in 2210 uncovering our old phones, scrolling through message threads filled with 😂 and 💯. They might chuckle at our digital hieroglyphics the same way we smile at Victorian shorthand samples with their beautiful, mysterious squiggles that once carried urgent business correspondence.
Every emoji you send is part of humanity’s endless attempt to connect, to be understood, to span the gap between minds.
Not bad for a collection of tiny faces, right?
Get Your Own Pitman Training Emoji Stickers!
🎉 Fancy adding a bit of Victorian flair to your messages? We’ve created exclusive Pitman Training sticker packs featuring Sir Isaac Pitman himself, plus a few surprise guest appearances. Tap the link below to get started.
Easiest Option (iPhone & Android):
- Download the free Sticker.ly app from the App Store or Google Play
- Tap the button below to open our sticker pack in the app
- Follow the app’s instructions to add the stickers to WhatsApp
- Start sending shorthand-inspired emoji magic in your chats.
👉 Download the Pitman Training Sticker Pack on Sticker.ly
🌟 Bonus Pack: Meet Pitman’s Precision Crew
Want to get properly acquainted with the brilliant minds behind your training? Our limited edition ‘Pitman’s Precision Crew’ sticker pack features the real people who make the magic happen, from the tea-making heroes of the head office. These cheeky stickers capture the personalities that keep Pitman Training ticking along beautifully.
👥 Download Pitman’s Precision Crew Sticker Pack on Sticker.ly
For Android Users Who Prefer Manual Import:
Prefer the DIY method? You can also download the stickers directly and import them using Sticker Maker for WhatsApp.
Here’s how:
- Download the ZIP file of our Pitman Training stickers [insert download link]
- Extract the files to your phone using a file manager or unzip app
- Install the free app: Sticker Maker for WhatsApp from Google Play
- Open the app and tap “Create a new stickerpack”
- Name your pack and tap through to add your stickers (minimum 3)
- Once added, tap “Add to WhatsApp”
- Done – your Pitman stickers are now ready to use.
Note: This method works only on Android.
Ready to sharpen your communication skills for the modern workplace? Our courses help you master everything from traditional business writing to digital communication strategies. The tools may change, but the ability to communicate clearly remains timeless.
