Podcast Awesome
On Podcast Awesome we talk to members of the Font Awesome team about icons, design, tech, business, and of course, nerdery.
Podcast Awesome
The Story Behind the Poo-Storm Icon
💩⚡️ Hold onto your butts, folks, because this episode of Behind the Icon on Podcast Awesome is about to get ... messy! We’re diving headfirst into the iconic history of one of Font Awesome’s quirkiest creations — the Poo-Storm icon. But if not for the creation of a stinker of a particular emoji, the poo-storm icon may never have come to fruition.
It all starts with the legendary rise of the poo emoji, a cultural masterpiece that has made its way into countless texts, memes, and conversations (whether you admit it or not). 💬
This episode is packed with everything you never knew you needed to know about emoji and icons, including a hilarious behind-the-scenes look at how Jory Raphael, Font Awesome’s own Icon Making Boss, got an icon mash-up idea. From the humble beginnings of the cloud icon to its thunderous twist into a storm of poo, Jory breaks it all down with plenty of laughs and middle-school humor. ✨💩
And yes, "icon creation", "poo emoji origin", and "Font Awesome magic" are the real stars here. Whether you're a design nerd or just here to catch a case of the goofballs, this episode is sure to entertain. 💥
Key Takeaways:
💩 The history of the poo emoji dates back to the late '90s in Japan 🇯🇵, thanks to Shigetaka Kurita, who basically invented emoji communication as we know it.
⚡️ And when boredom and eye-crossing monotony set in on a particularly long day of icon design, Jory Raphael mashed up the poo emoji into something even more fun — thus the Poo-Storm icon was born. 💡 Humor + design is the name of the game at Font Awesome!
🌍 Thanks to the Unicode Consortium, the poo emoji officially went global in 2010, becoming the symbol for all things cheeky and lighthearted in digital communication.
🎨 Font Awesome’s philosophy? Playful design with a side of absurdity — the Poo Storm icon embodies this perfectly.
🚽 Pro tip: The Poo Storm icon isn’t just for giggles — it’s been spotted in the wild at a plumbing company, proving even the weirdest icons have a purpose!
Timestamp:
0:09 - The Evolution and Cultural Impact of the Poop Emoji 💩
4:58 - The Creation of the Poo Storm Icon ⚡️
8:04 - The Perfect Use of a Fun Icon 🚽
10:20 - Clever Use of Poo Storm Icon on a Home Inspections Website 🏠
12:26 - Awesome Theme Song and Video Editing Credits 🎶
Notes:
💡 Shigetaka Kurita: https://emojipedia.org/shigetaka-kurita/
🔤 Unicode Consortium: https://unicode.org
💩 The Poo-storm Icon: https://fontawesome.com/icons/poo-storm?f=classic&s=solid
🏠 ROI Home Inspections: https://roihomeinspections.com/
🎨 Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com
🐦 Twitter: @fontawesome: https://twitter.com/fontawesome
📸 Instagram: @font.awesome: https://www.instagram.com/font.awesome
💬 Threads: @font.awesome https://www.threads.net/@font.awesome
💼 LinkedIn: Font Awesome: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fontawesome
🎶 The Podcast Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/
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