Mia: A Lovely Emoji Design by Cheng Xiangsheng

Bringing a Pleasant Feeling to Mobile Communication

Emoji has become an integral part of modern communication, allowing people to express complex emotions and add fun to their mobile chat experience. Just like any other design branch, emoji design requires a balance between practicality and beauty. "Mia" achieves this balance by presenting a beautiful and pleasant image that enriches communication.

The uniqueness of "Mia" lies in its ability to evoke positive emotions. The lovely image of Mia brings a sense of joy and happiness to users, enhancing their mobile chat experience. By using "Mia" in their conversations, users can convey meanings that go beyond words, adding depth and nuance to their communication.

Technically, "Mia" is designed using an Apple iPad and pencil as the drawing tools. The final design has a size of 240 pixels * 240 pixels, with a 2-pixel white stroke. It is available in GIF and PNG formats, with the main image in GIF format and a thumbnail in PNG format, sized at 240 pixels * 240 pixels and 120 pixels * 120 pixels, respectively.

To use "Mia," users need to first download the emoji to their chat software. Once downloaded, the emoji will appear in the user's chat box, ready to be sent during conversations. The design process of "Mia" involved continuous adjustments based on user downloads and feedback, ensuring its effectiveness and appeal.

The development of "Mia" took place in Dalian and was completed in July 2020. It was uploaded to WeChat in September 2020, making it available for users to download and use. The design of "Mia" was driven by the increasing demand for new communication methods in the mobile era, and it represents a step forward in the evolution of design.

Cheng Xiangsheng's research for "Mia" was rooted in the growing importance of mobile chat applications in people's lives. As users spend more time on these applications, the need for enhanced communication methods, such as emoji, has increased. The goal was to bring more fun and expressiveness to mobile chat, breaking free from the limitations of words.

One of the main challenges faced during the design process was ensuring the widespread usage of "Mia." The success of an emoji design is measured by how often people use it. To meet this challenge, Cheng Xiangsheng constantly pushed the boundaries of design, striving to create an emoji that resonates with users and becomes an integral part of their conversations.

"Mia" has been recognized for its well-designed, practical, and innovative nature, earning it the Iron A' Design Award in 2021 in the Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design category. This award acknowledges the integration of industry best practices and technical characteristics, contributing to a better world through fulfillment and positive experiences.

With its delightful design and ability to convey pleasant emotions, "Mia" is a testament to the evolving nature of art and design. As society and communication methods progress, emoji designers like Cheng Xiangsheng continue to push the boundaries of design, enriching our digital interactions and enhancing our everyday lives.