Classic Skype emoticons

Information

Skype's emojis quickly became one of the most recognizable parts of early online messaging, giving conversations a playful personality that plain text couldn't capture. From simple smiley faces to expressive animated characters, these emoticons helped people show humor, sarcasm, excitement, and frustration in a way that felt natural and fun. The original designs were created during Skype's early days by Priidu Zilmer, who helped shape the visual style of the app and contributed to the emoji set that became part of its identity. Over time, Skype's emojis evolved with animations and hidden variations, turning them into small but memorable pieces of internet culture for millions of users.

Priidu Zilmer

Priidu Zilmer is a digital designer known for his influential work at Skype, where he joined in 2004 as the company's second designer and remained until 2011. During his seven years there, he worked across product design, branding, interfaces, and iconography, eventually leading design teams.

Zilmer is especially known for creating Skype's original emoticon set, which became a recognizable part of the platform's playful visual identity and was used by millions worldwide. 

“I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. A friend connected me to someone who was looking for a designer for a tiny startup called Skype, with 30 people or so. And they needed look and feel for their little app. So I decided to give it a go… and spent 7 years making it, including doing many of the emoji. :) The craziest and most interesting experience in my designer career, I think.” - Priidu Zilmer on how he came to design the skype emoticons