The State of the Emojis at Sparkgeo
At Sparkgeo, emojis aren’t just playful add-ons to Slack—they’re a shared language that captures our culture, creativity, and humor.
- Quick reactions keep conversations moving.
- Custom emojis mark inside jokes, team traditions, and project milestones.
- Together, they tell the story of how we connect and collaborate.
Why Emojis Matter
Emojis are part of the glue that holds Sparkgeo together:
- A custom emoji sparks a shared laugh.
- The perfect reaction builds belonging.
- They let us celebrate wins, show empathy, and create in-jokes unique to our team.
Emojis shrink the distance of remote work and remind us that behind every message is a person with personality and humor.
More Than Communication
Our emoji collection—standard and custom—is a living reflection of Sparkgeo:
- It captures the people, moments, and quirks that define our work.
- It keeps culture visible across time zones and geography.
- It reminds us that our strongest connections go beyond projects to the fun and community we share.
Emojis aren’t just symbols—they’re culture, connection, and Sparkgeo spirit.
Custom Emoji Summary
As of June 30, 2025:
- Count (all time): 514
- Count (Jan. 1 - Jun. 30, 2025): 50
Mean Custom Emoji
The following is the mean image created by combining all custom emojis in the Sparkgeo Slack workspace, kinda looks like a happy face:
Top Overall Emoji Usage
Note
The Slack API severely rate limits requests for conversations (1 request per minute, 15 messages maximum per request). The analysis above includes 1 request per channel, retrieving the last 15 messages. There may be a slight bias towards older emojis, since the newest messages in some channels may predate some emojis.
Emoji Spotlights (in random order)
:doh:Uploaded by: Cara
Uploaded on: December 4th, 2020
For the meetup presentation theme 'Something I learned this year,' Darren figured out that he wrote 'Doh' approximately 1 million times in 2019. Okay, maybe not a million, but it was a lot. Intended use: 🤦♀️ situations.
:catjam:Uploaded by: Gordon
Uploaded on: January 12th, 2023
Use when something is dope, or when you are otherwise vibing with something.
:parmegranate:Uploaded by: Parm
Uploaded on: December 6th, 2017
No one should ever need to use this. It probably was born out of something Alain or Mehul said during the Maptiks era, where the only reasonable response was to find a photo of oneself looking unimpressed, crop it, emoji it, and react with it.
:thosecalves:Uploaded by: Isa
Uploaded on: April 10th, 2025
This emoji emerged from the April 2025 Fur Baby / Cute Thing Show-and-Tell Social. This is one of Becky's cow-calf pairs, and they exude a simmering hostility, a cuteness to be appreciated from afar.
:saydrake:Uploaded by: Lauren
Uploaded on: February 11th, 2025
We use this to signify that we hate Drake, or think less of him. Think of this as a great comeback, a cultural moment of significance.
:wizardal:Uploaded by: Parm
Uploaded on: March 20th, 2018
Used for when AL pulls out some UI/UX wizardry. Can also be used when AL is going off on something obscure as he occasionally does. Originated from AL complaining that Slack had no wizard emoji.
:fistbump:Uploaded by: Darren
Uploaded on: November 16th, 2018
This video was taken at the 2018 Vancouver meetup by Dustin. The fists in question are possibly Alain and Mike. This emoji is used to convey celebratory teamwork.
:go-west-al:Uploaded by: Will
Uploaded on: February 14th, 2019
Al posing during glamour shots at the 2018 Vancouver meetup. This emoji is used to convey a sense of adventure, or to encourage someone to go west.
:armflailingtubeman:Uploaded by: Gordon
Uploaded on: July 6th, 2021
Use it interchangeably with other celebratory emojis like 🎉
:happygreg:Uploaded by: Lauren
Uploaded on: January 31st, 2025
We use this when we are a happy Greg.
:concerned_lauren:Uploaded by: Gordon
Uploaded on: July 8th, 2024
Use when you're concerned / worried /skeptical about something (bonus points if Lauren is somehow involved).
:darren:Uploaded by: James
Uploaded on: February 26th, 2021
This emoji was added to convey the feeling of deadpanning an emotion - neither happy nor upset - neutral, serene. 😐
:sparky:Uploaded by: Parm
Uploaded on: February 18th, 2021
All-purpose workhorse emoji. Started as Sparkgeo’s response to Clippy (original animation created by Anthony), ended up as a cultural icon. Will Prince George be big enough for both Mr. PG and Sparky? We’ll find out this fall.
:thinkingmike:/:pensivemike:Uploaded by: Anthony/Brian B., respectively
Uploaded on: October 23rd, 2019
This was a photo taken where Mike was reminiscing on his vehicle in a nostalgic way, but a few of us thought it looked like he was in pensive thought. Its intended uses are where someone is in deep thought, reflection, or for those esoteric uses, reflective nostalgia.
:blob-excited:Uploaded by: Melissa
Uploaded on: June 2nd, 2021
While many blobs have followed, this was the first. Use it when it feels right.
:partyparrot:Uploaded by: Mike
Uploaded on: April 5th, 2016
The party parrot is an emoji inspired by a real bird named Sirocco, who was expressing it's joy while trying to mate with a photographer, and is now immortalised across the internet as a symbol of elation. Usage: a communal positive celebration, or festive mood. Fun fact: this is the oldest custom emoji in Sparkgeo's org.
:wilson:Uploaded by: Isa
Uploaded on: April 10th, 2025
This emoji emerged from the April 2025 Fur Baby / Cute Thing Show-and-Tell Social. This is Kaela’s fur baby, Wilson, and he exudes
:parmfinity:Uploaded by: Darren
Uploaded on: January 5th, 2018
Built from :parmegranate:, this emoji is intended to convey existential concepts, such as the infinite nature of the universe, or the meaning of life.
:bananadance:Uploaded by: Gordon
Uploaded on: January 12th, 2023
A banana doing a dance, not to be confused with :batman_banana_dance:
:sadmike:Uploaded by: Will
Uploaded on: December 6th, 2017
General use is to emote sadness. Specific-use is to emote sadness from not solving a dev ops problem or buying a car. Can also be used to react to any Frolf discourse.
:james_dad:Uploaded by: Darren
Uploaded on: February 5th, 2019
This emoji was necessitated by James' insistence on telling horrible jokes, on par with mom jokes, but worse. This emoji is paired with :cara_mom:.
:ramsesandpharoah:Uploaded by: Isa
Uploaded on: April 10th, 2025
This emoji emerged from the April 2025 Fur Baby / Cute Thing Show-and-Tell Social. They are Jesse’s fur babies, and they exude 100% snuggles.
:charisma-moose:Uploaded by: Gordon
Uploaded on: October 24th, 2024
This was made specifically in relation to a slack conversation, but it should be used to convey classiness and sophistication.
:explaining:Uploaded by: Dustin
Uploaded on: June 11th, 2025
It was captured during a moment of screen freeze but it perfectly reflects Anthony during one of his many explanations.
:facepalmtom:Uploaded by: Dustin
Uploaded on: December 13th, 2022
"I tend to bounce ideas of Tom and felt this reflects how he’s feeling during those calls." - Dustin
:al-sez:Uploaded by: Al
Uploaded on: December 20th, 2018
Used when Al is explaining stuff, although it is also just a neat pose to cut out and use places.
:skeptic:Uploaded by: Will
Uploaded on: July 14th, 2022
A picture of Gordon, a natural skeptic, looking skeptical. This emoji is used to convey skepticism, or general Gordonosity.
:broken_james:Uploaded by: Gordon
Uploaded on: August 30th, 2021
Use to convey sadness/despondency, especially when James is somehow involved.
:happymike:Uploaded by: Parm
Uploaded on: December 6th, 2017
General use is to emote happiness. Specific-use is to emote happiness from solving a dev ops problem or buying a car. Can also be used to react to any Frolf discourse. Originated from Mike telling everyone he is “a happy guy…”
:cara_mom:Uploaded by: Darren
Uploaded on: March 12th, 2019
This emoji was necessitated by Cara's insistence on telling horrible jokes, on par with dad jokes, but worse. This emoji is paired with :james_dad:.
:excited_isa:Uploaded by: Amanda
Uploaded on: September 8th, 2023
Used to show excitement about a new HR policy.
:batman_banana_dance:Uploaded by: Lauren
Uploaded on: March 1st, 2022
A bat doing a dance, not to be confused with :bananadance:
:project_managed:Uploaded by: Darren
Uploaded on: October 23rd, 2019
Created from video of Al collected at the 2019 Vancouver meetup, this emoji is intended to convey a restrained sense of accomplishment, having managed to complete a project.
:ficklemike:Uploaded by: Darren
Uploaded on: January 5th, 2018
An animation of :happymike: and :sadmike:, this emoji is intended to convey the duality of Mikes.
:cowboy_eyes:Uploaded by: Gordon
Uploaded on: January 12th, 2023
Like the regular 👀 emoji, but when you want the added flair of cowboy hats on top of the eyes.
Bringing it Home
Emojis at Sparkgeo are more than reactions or decorations. They are a language that reflects who we are—creative, connected, and human.
Every custom emoji is a reminder that our culture isn’t just something we talk about, it’s something we build together—one laugh, one milestone, one shared moment at a time.
✨ In the end, emojis capture what truly matters: our people, our relationships, and the spirit of Sparkgeo.
Emojis at Sparkgeo: 🤏 small symbols, big culture 🙌.