Communication strategies for an era without faces

At BOEL, we use a chat tool called Slack for day-to-day communication and coordination with team members. Previously, we had each person use a version of the BOEL logo in their own chosen color as their icon.

The logo-based icons had a clean, cohesive look — but the only way to tell staff members apart, or express any individuality, was through color alone. Slack is an indispensable tool in our work; it's practically become a second workplace. Yet with only a logo for an icon, the people we chatted with most frequently started to feel a little... impersonal. In fact, some staff members mentioned that text-based exchanges — without being able to see someone's face or hear the tone of their voice — could feel cold or distant. So we decided to retire the logo icons and replace them with illustrated portraits of every staff member. To capture each person's individuality in a single image, we chose illustrations over photographs — giving us the flexibility to fine-tune and add a little flair that a photo alone couldn't achieve.

The workflow went like this: photograph each staff member → create a rough sketch → add color → set the background.

Here are the key points we kept in mind:
・Honoring each staff member's individuality ・Staying true to the BOEL aesthetic ・Smiling faces

Point 1: Honoring Each Staff Member's Individuality
This was our top priority from the start. Beyond the impression a photograph conveys, we wanted to reflect the little charming quirks and personality traits we notice when we actually interact with each person day to day — so that when the icon is used in chat, people can more readily picture who they're talking to. Being able to fine-tune that impression is one of the great advantages of using illustration.

Point 2: Staying True to the BOEL Aesthetic
Concretely, we adjusted the clothing and background colors in each portrait to reflect BOEL's brand image. The goal was to visually express a sense of unity among staff and cohesion as a team. At BOEL, our everyday dress code is smart casual, but we always wear a suit or jacket when meeting with clients. With that in mind, we styled the illustrations in neat, professional attire that reflects our commitment to courtesy and respect. Of course, we still made sure the clothing choices honored each individual's personal style. For the backgrounds, we opted for soft watercolor pastel tones rather than primary colors — giving the icons a warm, gentle atmosphere that looks lovely when displayed together.

Point 3: Smiling Faces
As with the first point, we kept in mind how these icons would actually be used in practice — and placed a strong emphasis on showing smiling expressions. Even with the same words, the impression a message leaves can change completely depending on whether the icon shows a smile or a neutral expression.

・・・

What do you think? It may depend on the content of the message, but somehow, just having a smiling expression makes it feel a lot more reassuring.

We've shared the process and intentions behind creating these icons.
We asked our staff how they felt after actually using them in practice.

・It's immediately clear who the message is from — very easy to understand at a glance.
・It feels like someone is talking to me with a big smile on their face, and that puts me in a great mood.
・Text-only messages with no face behind them can sometimes feel cold, but having a personalized avatar helps me recall the person's voice and personality, which is really reassuring.
・Compared to when the BOEL logo was used as the icon, I feel much more like I'm receiving a message from an actual person.
・Even with remote team members, it gives me the feeling that they have their camera on.
・It always feels like someone is approaching me with a smile, so even if a message happens to be blunt or a bit tough to hear, I find myself able to receive it in a more positive way.

As you can see, this small but thoughtful change — switching to personalized icons — created a significant shift in how messages are perceived, making interactions feel as though someone is speaking to you with a warm smile.
In chat tools where multiple people post frequently throughout the day, being able to instantly identify who sent a message also proved to be an effective way to improve work efficiency.

Let's take a look at a real-world example outside of our own company.
Fujitsu has been experimenting with changing icons as a way to update their organizational culture.
Fujitsu's approach to self-branding starts from the idea that "each and every employee understands what makes them uniquely themselves, and turns that into a strength."
From there, an initiative called Watashi Branding ("My Branding") was launched, driving a reform that places the individuality of each employee at its core.

(The following is an excerpt)
As part of efforts to help employees express their authentic selves and update organizational culture, Watashi Branding turned its attention to profile photos (icons) used in internal communication tools.
The initiative encouraged employees to move away from traditional "ID photo"-style icons, and instead use images full of personality — such as photos with a pet, illustrations, or favorite landscapes.
In addition, the program has pursued a range of approaches, including organizing internal events centered around profile photos and developing an AI-powered app that converts photos into illustrated portraits.

To measure the impact of profile photos, the following experiment was conducted.
"Demonstrating the Effects of Profile Photos"

＜Method＞
60 participants were shown 5 sets of ID-style and casual profile photos, and asked to rate their impressions across 4 categories, each expressed as a percentage.
The results revealed some fascinating insights about the power of icons.
First, 49% of respondents said they would hesitate to approach someone casually based on their profile photo alone. It seems that a single profile photo can significantly shape the impression others have of you.
Furthermore, when comparing ID-style profile photos with more casual alternatives, the casual photos showed notable improvements over their formal counterparts: trustworthiness up 9%, psychological safety up 10%, approachability up 16%, and likability up 15%.

The data clearly shows that profile photos have a tangible impact on improving communication.
And since it's as simple as swapping out an image, it's something anyone can easily try right away.Sonnet 4.6

In the previous sections, we introduced our Slack icons — and this time, we've also created brand-new Slack stamps. In this section, we'll walk you through the background behind introducing these new stamps and the impact they've had.

The idea came from staff feedback — they wanted stamps that could express emotions with just the right nuance.
For example, there are moments when you want a busy colleague to know it's okay to take a break, or when you want to share that pre-holiday excitement with the team……
This led us to create stamps that could convey feelings more casually and effortlessly than text alone.

In creating the stamps, we kept the following points in mind:
・Prioritize what staff actually want
・Does it convey a sense of care and appreciation for the other person?
・Consider visibility

Point 1: "Prioritize what staff actually want"

The most important thing in creating the stamps was making something that the staff — the actual users — genuinely wanted.
We surveyed all staff members on what stamps they felt were needed, and used that feedback as the foundation for the designs.
To capture the right emotional nuance, we drew inspiration from the expressive faces of catchy characters, and put a lot of thought into how to bring those feelings to life.

Point 2: "Does it convey a sense of care and appreciation for the other person?"

We eliminated anything with a negative feel, and chose words and expressions that uplift and celebrate the recipient.
Our goal was to create stamps that would make anyone happy to receive.

Point 3: "Consider visibility"

Stamps are used not only within chat messages, but also as reactions to others' posts — so we made sure to check how each stamp would actually look when displayed at its real size.
As for colors, we steered clear of anything too bright, keeping readability and ease of viewing as a priority.

So, how did the staff respond……?

・It makes me happy when my posts get a lot of reactions.
・The stamps are visually vibrant — they really brighten up a chat tool that would otherwise be all text.
・Seeing others use them gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
・The animated ones are so cute!
・I can see little sparks of creativity here and there, with people finding fun ways to respond using stamps — it feels like communication has really come alive. That said, I imagine the excitement will settle down eventually, so I'm already looking forward to a second batch!

Emojis and stamps tend to be frowned upon in professional settings — but when they're crafted with genuine care and respect for the other person, we came to truly feel just how powerful they can be in facilitating smoother, warmer communication.

We've already received requests for a second round, and we look forward to adding more stamps to keep the energy going in our chat channels — bringing a little more joy and lightness to the way we work together.

In this article, we introduced our revamp of Slack icons and stamps as a form of inner branding.
Communication between staff members is something that directly impacts how comfortable people feel in the workplace and how well they perform in their roles.
When exchanging messages as text without a face to put to them, why not try putting a little extra thought into your icons and stamps?