Utilizing the KISS method of design, we employed simplicity, and made sure the AOL Emoticons would be relatable and easily recognizable. Limited to a small number of colors per image, and a small pixel footprint, we had our work cut out for us. We took our inspiration from street graffiti and existing smiley norms — at the time, the often seen yellow smiley faces were also popping up in public urban areas.  The yellow smiley emoticons were born!

Once the emoticons became a success, we were once more hired to build out theme versions of them — shapes, animals, etc. This opportunity allowed for more colors, and the emoticons were able to convey a bit more dimension and shading. Yes, we were dreaming in pixels!