Embedded Files
A younger workforce communicates differently and has brought GIFs and emojis to work. Google Workspace is responding by dramatically expanding emojis' usefulness.
Let's dive into the new ways of using emojis and how your team can better express itself.
Send compact meaning (reactions)
Send compact meaning (reactions)
Emoji reactions have taken the world by storm: Chat had reactions since 2018, Meet has them. People liked being able to react to existing comments in Google Docs so much that emoji comments are now coming to Slides and Sheets. And both Gmail and Outlook are experimenting with emoji reactions to emails.
All of these reactions save time: If you type a message ("I think so too!"), others might receive updates and notification emails. But with a reaction, you don't interrupt. Your reaction is an elegant understatement.
Organize, categorize and vote
Organize, categorize and vote
Emojis aren't just smileys and animal faces - they are also colors, arrows, icons, numbers. You can use them to categorize almost anything in Google Workspace for yourself or others. If your team has special terms, such as β clients or a β list, you can make this language tangible.
Icons work in files, folders and entire shared drives. Nowadays, computers and software should handle this well if you use Google Drive for Desktop to access files from Windows or Mac. Many people also label their email folders with icons.
People have intuitively used emojis to vote (π for Backstreet boys, π for N'Sync). Docs now even has a voting smart chip.
Make something stand out
Make something stand out
We often use emojis and icons to make announcements stand out in chat spaces. I use them to make the newsletter for CollabThinking, stand out in your inbox and spark instant joy every Tuesday and Thursday-ish.
In Google Workspace, all editors now have dedicated buttons to insert emojis - no need for shortcuts. What can you do with lists or Sheets tables where some values start with an emoji?
I believe that a single, well-placed emoji should have a place in your toolbox when it comes to writing long form text. It can be a touch of color or lessen the impact. It can be a mic drop. π₯ That may be a matter of personal style and more so of knowing your audience, which brings me to the risks of using icons.
The risks of emojis and icons
The risks of emojis and icons
With great fun comes some risk: Emojis pack meaning into a single character. Not everyone thinks highly of emojis: Can you use it in email? What about in a document?
People disagree on the meaning of emojis (like the friendly/flirty/cynical π, agism against π, perceived hostility from π). To make matters worse, emojis look differently depending on your devices or application.
Older programs don't properly display emojis, so using them in file names may not be a great idea if you plan on taking them out of the cloud. Less is more with email subjects, calendar event titles and URLs.
The workforce is changing, the language is changing and it is important that our technology keeps up in innovative ways. Even the most icon-averse will appreciate less email notifications when people react with β instead of commenting "me too!". Thanks for reading!
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