Unicode Emojis: A Fun and Easy Way to Enhance App User Experience

The vast majority of users only need one-tenth of a second to perceive visual elements on a screen. On the other hand, it takes much longer to comprehend text items, especially when they’re stored as rows upon rows of information within an enormous database table.

If you’re looking to engage your audience in your latest web application, using visual characters like emojis may be the solution you’ve been looking for. What if you can easily pick and choose from a massive library of emojis and icons to use in your applications?

You can now do so with Caspio’s native support of Unicode symbols, which includes thousands of fun emojis and pictographs. You’d be surprised at how simple it is to add more life to your custom apps.

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What is Unicode?

The Unicode Standard provides the most widely adopted system of encoding characters to display languages and symbols in modern devices, platforms and apps. As of Unicode version 14.0, a total of 144,697 characters are supported, and over 3,000 of them are picture characters or emojis.

While Unicode is quickly becoming recognized and displayed by popular web browsers and chat apps, not all no-code platforms natively support it. Where’s the fun in that?

Caspio sets itself apart by seamlessly adopting the Unicode standard across the board: online database, application builder and automation workflows.

Top 5 Places in Your Custom Apps to Add Unicode

By default, professional business applications have minimal design aesthetics and visual elements. However, powerful functions and eye-catching user interfaces can take your custom application to another level.

In Caspio’s product release 25.0, you can display any Unicode character by simply copying a code-point and adding “&#x”. For example, you can add a gemstone to your app with &#x1F48E.

Here are our five recommendations on where to use Unicode emojis in your Caspio web apps:

1. Tables

Generating tabular reports with emoji column fields provides an intuitive user experience for anyone looking to glean insights out of raw data, without having to read through individual cells and rows. Caspio even renders emojis on the database level.

You can also add Unicode emojis in various interfaces, including placeholders and backend database tables, by copying the actual emoji image and pasting the icon within the Caspio platform.

2. Dropdown options

Users who routinely select from a dropdown list, especially lists with more than four options, run the risk of choosing the wrong item by mistake due to the monotony of text. Use visual cues – ranging from colored emoji circles to specific icons – to make each dropdown item distinct.

3. Headings and labels

Infuse fun and meaningful context to your general app interface by adding the appropriate emoji to complement different headings, labels and even placeholders. Caspio even automatically matches the size of the Unicode character with your header text to fit the overall layout.

4. Automations and notifications

Caspio makes it possible to include Unicode emojis in your workflows to create sophisticated Triggered Actions and Scheduled Tasks. Now, you can come up with unique workflow scenarios by referencing Unicode characters being updated, inserted or deleted in your database. Unicode support also extends to automated email and SMS alerts, allowing you to dress them up with any emoji or icon you want.

5. Formulas and custom code

For our tech-savvy users who need to extend their web apps with detailed calculations and custom coding, Caspio allows you to display Unicode emojis based on the results of your equations or any conditional logic. Leverage your knowledge of SQL or JavaScript to create new emoji functions unique to your business. For example, you can mark the status of a project as complete with the grinning face emoji.

Sample Use Cases for Emojis in Your Apps

Need inspirations to build and customize business apps that benefit from Unicode emojis? Consider the following use cases:

Quality Assurance

Transform a standard bug tracking system into an engaging tool for technical admins and end users. First, customize the bug submission form to include a dropdown list for different severity levels tagged by color-shaded emojis. Next, generate a tabular report that displays the severity column alongside other fields. Now, you can easily monitor and display critical bugs with urgency. Check out the demo from our Unicode livestream to see the system in action.

Smart Investing

Let’s assume you have a proprietary algorithm to process real-time stock data in a smart investing app. Incorporating the right Unicode icons to signify certain behavioral trends makes the entire experience much more convenient and intuitive. You can even organize your entire datasheet interface according to the emojis you’re using, helping you make informed decisions in an interface that speaks to you. For example, use rockets for stock valuations that are growing at a rapid rate.

Gamified CRM

Your best sales reps deserve recognition. Gamify your CRM to automatically assign emoji badges based on monthly, quarterly or yearly sales performance. You can then launch an internal leaderboard to keep the competition going in real-time!

Be sure to check out our ultimate video guide on how to build a custom CRM for a guided tutorial on basic app development in Caspio.

Now is the best time to start customizing your applications.

The list of practical use cases involving the Unicode Standard goes on, limited only by your imagination and creativity. Watch our full YouTube stream on using Unicode emojis to learn more.

Join Our YouTube Livestream for More Tips and Tricks!

Looking for other neat tricks to enhance the functionality of your Caspio web apps?

Subscribe to the Caspio YouTube channel and catch our weekly livestreams (Mondays, 10am PT) for interactive app building and coaching sessions you can join via chat.

Previous topics include:

• Database Design With Caspio – Give your apps a solid foundation by learning some key fundamentals of proper database design.
• How to Create Effective Registration Forms – Learn how to optimize your forms to enhance user experience and increase signups.
• How to Customize Online Reports – Get a sampling of different aesthetic and functional enhancements for your Caspio reports.
• How to Use Formula Data Types – Find out how to use formula data types to calculate and store values from multiple fields.
• Google Maps Integration With Caspio – Watch a live demo of how Google maps can work with your Caspio apps using API.

Want to learn more about what Caspio can do? Schedule a free demo and a platform specialist will help you get started.