Emoji Style Guide

Standardized Emoji Usage for Kai Documentation

Published

November 20, 2025

Overview

This guide establishes standardized emoji usage across all Kai the AI documentation, diagrams, and user interfaces. Consistent emoji use enhances visual communication while maintaining professional appearance.

Core Principles

Consistency: Use the same emoji for the same concept throughout all documentation
Clarity: Choose emojis that are universally understood
Accessibility: Ensure emojis supplement, not replace, text descriptions
Cross-platform: Select emojis that render well on all platforms

Emoji Dictionary

📚 Educational Components

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
📚	Textbook/Learning Materials	Course content, reading materials	`[Textbook]`
📖	Individual Book/Document	Single resource, manual	`[Book]`
📄	Document/File	Generic documents, notes	`[Document]`
📝	Writing/Notes	Note-taking, assignments	`[Notes]`
📊	Presentation/Slides	PowerPoint, slides	`[Slides]`
🎓	Graduation/Achievement	Completion, success	`[Achievement]`
📋	Clipboard/Assessment	Tests, evaluations	`[Assessment]`

👥 People & Roles

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
👨‍🏫	Instructor (Male)	Teacher, professor	`[Instructor]`
👩‍🏫	Instructor (Female)	Teacher, professor	`[Instructor]`
🧑‍🏫	Instructor (Neutral)	Teacher, professor	`[Instructor]`
👥	Students/Group	Student body, learners	`[Students]`
👤	Individual User	Single student/user	`[User]`
👨‍🎓	Student (Male)	Learner	`[Student]`
👩‍🎓	Student (Female)	Learner	`[Student]`
🧑‍🎓	Student (Neutral)	Learner	`[Student]`

🤖 Technology & AI

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
🤖	AI/Bot/Kai	Artificial intelligence, Kai	`[AI]`
💻	Computer/System	Computing systems	`[System]`
📱	Mobile/App	Mobile application	`[App]`
🖥️	Desktop/Monitor	Desktop interface	`[Desktop]`
⚙️	Settings/Configuration	System settings	`[Settings]`
🔧	Tools/Utilities	Development tools	`[Tools]`
🌐	Web/Internet	Online resources	`[Web]`
💾	Storage/Database	Data storage	`[Storage]`

💬 Communication

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
💬	Chat/Conversation	Chatbot, messaging	`[Chat]`
📧	Email	Email communication	`[Email]`
📢	Announcement	Notifications, alerts	`[Announcement]`
🔔	Notification	Alerts, reminders	`[Notification]`
💭	Thought/Idea	Concepts, thinking	`[Idea]`
💡	Insight/Content	Ideas, solutions	`[Insight]`
❓	Question	Help, queries	`[Question]`
✅	Confirmed/Success	Completion, approval	`[Success]`

📊 Data & Analytics

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
📈	Analytics/Growth	Performance metrics	`[Analytics]`
📉	Decline/Issues	Problem indicators	`[Decline]`
📊	Charts/Reports	Data visualization	`[Charts]`
🎯	Target/Goals	Objectives, aims	`[Goal]`
📍	Location/Point	Specific items	`[Point]`
🏆	Achievement/Success	Top performance	`[Achievement]`
⭐	Rating/Quality	Excellence, favorites	`[Rating]`

🎥 Media & Content

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
🎥	Video/Recording	Lecture capture	`[Video]`
🎧	Audio/Listening	Audio content, podcasts	`[Audio]`
🎤	Microphone/Speaking	Voice input	`[Microphone]`
📷	Camera/Photo	Images, screenshots	`[Camera]`
🖼️	Image/Picture	Graphics, diagrams	`[Image]`
🎬	Production/Creation	Content creation	`[Production]`

🔄 Processes & Actions

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
🔄	Sync/Feedback	Refresh, updates	`[Sync]`
↩︎️	Return/Back	Navigation	`[Back]`
➡️	Forward/Next	Progression	`[Next]`
⬆️	Upload/Increase	Upload, improve	`[Upload]`
⬇️	Download/Decrease	Download, reduce	`[Download]`
🔍	Search/Find	Discovery, search	`[Search]`
🔗	Link/Connection	Relationships, URLs	`[Link]`
📌	Pin/Important	Priority items	`[Important]`

⚠️ Status & Alerts

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
✅	Success/Complete	Task done	`[Complete]`
❌	Error/Failed	Problems, issues	`[Error]`
⚠️	Warning/Caution	Attention needed	`[Warning]`
ℹ️	Information	General info	`[Info]`
🚀	Launch/Deploy	Go live, release	`[Launch]`
🔒	Security/Private	Protected content	`[Secure]`
🔓	Unlocked/Public	Open access	`[Public]`
🛡️	Protection/Safety	Security features	`[Protected]`

📅 Time & Scheduling

Emoji	Concept	Usage Context	Alternative Text
📅	Calendar/Schedule	Timetables, dates	`[Calendar]`
⏰	Time/Deadline	Due dates, timing	`[Time]`
⏱️	Timer/Duration	Time tracking	`[Timer]`
🕐	Clock/Specific Time	Timestamps	`[Clock]`
📆	Date/Day	Specific dates	`[Date]`

Usage Guidelines

In Mermaid Diagrams

graph LR
    A[👨‍🏫<br/>Instructor] --> B[🤖<br/>KAI]
    B --> C[📊<br/>Analytics]
    B --> D[💬<br/>Chatbot]

In Documentation Text

Do: - Use emojis to enhance section headers: ## 🤖 How Kai Works - Add emojis to bullet points for visual hierarchy - Include emojis in status messages: ✅ Setup complete

Don’t: - Overuse emojis (maximum 1 per heading, 1 per bullet point) - Use emojis in formal technical specifications - Replace critical text with emojis alone

In User Interface

Navigation Icons: Use consistently across all pages
Status Indicators: ✅ ❌ ⚠️ for success/error/warning
Action Buttons: Pair with text labels for accessibility

Accessibility Considerations

Always provide alternative text for emojis in critical contexts
Use aria-label attributes in HTML when emojis convey meaning
Don’t rely solely on emojis for important information
Test with screen readers to ensure content is accessible

Platform Compatibility

Well-Supported Emojis (Use These)

Basic symbols: ✅ ❌ ⚠️ ℹ️
Common objects: 📚 📄 💻 📱
Standard faces: 😊 👍
Arrows: ➡️ ⬅️ ⬆️ ⬇️

Avoid These (Poor Support)

Complex combined emojis
Newer Unicode additions
Platform-specific emojis
Skin tone modifiers in technical docs

Implementation Examples

Kai Component Mapping

Based on the core Kai architecture diagram:

Components:
  Textbook: 📚
  Instructor: 👨‍🏫
  AV-Feed: 🎧 🎥
  KAI: 🤖
  Chatbot: 💬
  Formative/Evaluative: 📋
  Content: 💡
  Feedback: 🔄
  Analytics: 📈
  Group Chat: 💬
  Students: 👥
  Lecture Notes: 📄 📊

Status Messages

Success: "✅ Operation completed successfully"
Warning: "⚠️ Please review the following items"
Error: "❌ Failed to process request"
Info: "ℹ️ Additional information available"

Maintenance

This guide should be updated when: - New components are added to the system - User feedback indicates confusion with emoji choices - Platform support for emojis changes - New use cases emerge in documentation

References

Unicode Emoji List
Emojipedia - Cross-platform emoji reference
WCAG Guidelines for Icons

Last Updated: November 20, 2025