If you’ve ever wanted to sext using regular emojis, you might’ve found this prospect difficult. Well, sexting in pictures got way easier thanks to the new Flirtmoji, a visual language designed to empower people of all sexualities to communicate their desires, concerns, and of course, flirtations. The often NSFW icons include anatomically accurate genitalia, whips, chains, fuzzy handcuffs, and even some sexually-suggestive fruit. There are also special, specific collections like BDSMS, Snow Bunny (holiday appropriate), and Safe Sext.
Flirtmoji was created by a group of designers and developers whose mission is to give people playful, inclusive, and functional sex emoji. In an interview with The Verge, artist Katy McCarthy explains: “I wanted the Flirtmoji to be sexy,” she said. “Even if it’s not my thing, necessarily … it’s someone else’s thing and it’s sexy to them.”
Regular emojis are criticized for their lack of diversity, and McCarthy and her friends were cognisant of that when designing. “My friends and I are not accurately represented in emoji,”she said, “and it’s frustrating. And particularly with sex, we felt that it was so crucial that everyone feel sexually represented.”
You won’t find these emojis in the app store. Instead, via their website, Flirtmoji has a selection of free emojis as well as themed collections for $.99 each. So, whether you’re an avid sexter or not, it’s worth checking out their icons simply from a design perspective. They show just how much can be said with relatively little visual information.
Nowadays, as more and more people express sexual desires through non-verbal, electronic communication, Flirtmoji is valuable. It’s a straight-forward, explicit, and fun way to have clear communication about this important topic.
