Interviews
& talks
I love to share my thoughts on design, its process, and my career journey with the hope of educating, inspiring, and empowering those interested in the world of user experience design. I also enjoy sharing a number of anecdotes about my time in Silicon Valley. If you’d like me to speak at one of your events or hold an interview feel free to contact me.
TV & video
CNBC Make It Video interview
[Link] Interview with CNBC called, “How An Apple Intern Helped Design The Original Emoji.” This was a video interview summarizing emoji anecdotes, process, and the impact it has had on culture worldwide. Posted on January 28, 2021.
El Tiempo Video interview
[Link] Live Interview with Colombia’s largest national new outlet, “La colombiana detrás del diseño de los populares emojis de Apple.” Posted on July 17, 2020.
Univision, Despierta América National morning news, TV interview
[Link] Astrid Rivera, reporter for Despierta América, asked me to share my journey into tech. “Te presentamos a la creadora de los emojis: así fue como esta colombiana dibujó 500 en solo tres meses / We present the creator of the emojis: here is how this Colombian drew 500 in just three months.” Aired on 6 March 2019.
Telemundo, Noticias Telemundo National evening news, TV interview
[Link] Cristina Londono, senior anchor for Telemundo, interviewed me about what it has been like to work in Silicon Valley for over a decade, starting with the emoji project, and what I plan to embark on next. This interview aired on 6 February 2019.
Univision, Edición Digital National news, live TV interview
[Link] Invited to speak about my career journey into tech, specifically about the making of the original Apple emoji. This Spanish interview took place at Univision’s news studio in Miami, Florida. It was live during the noon news segment. 3 January 2019.
Univision, UNews Live online interview
[Link] Similar to the previous interview, this segment covered my involvement in the making of the emoji and how I got into tech. Segment was done in English for Univision’s online segment. 3 January 2019.
CNN en Español Live TV interview
[Link] Interview with Guillermo Arduino, anchor and correspondent for CNN en Español. Title of segment is, “Así fueron creados los famosos emoticonos que se usan a diario”. Aired on November 15, 2018 on CNN Encuentro.
CNN International TV interview
[Link] Celebratory emoji interview with Kristie Lu Stout, news anchor for CNN International, “Raising a :) to 10 years of the emoji: It’s now been 10 years since Apple first launched its collection of emojis. CNN speaks with the designer behind the pictures that changed the way we communicate.” Aired on November 9, 2018 on News Stream.
RCN | La FM Video interview, Colombia
[Link] Interview with La FM, media outlet from Colombia. Title, “This is the Colombian who created the Apple emoji / Esta es la colombiana que creó los emojis de Apple”. 19 January 2019.
NTN24 Video interview, Colombia
[Link] Video interview with one of Colombian’s news outlets. “Ángela Guzmán, la colombiana que diseñó los famosos emojis” / “Angela Guzman, the Colombian who designed the famous emoji”. 22 December 2018.
ADN40, Es De Mañana Live National news interview, Mexico
[Link] Interviewed by Luisa Cantú and Alejandro Broff, TV anchors on ADN40. Topics centered around my career, what it is like working in tech as a Latina, how I got started, and what I’m up to now.
TV Azteca Noticias National news interview, Mexico
[Link 1 / Link 2] Interviewed by TV Azteca News, the second largest mass media network in Mexico. “Ella es la creadora de tus emojis favoritos / She is the creator of your favorite emojis.” Aired on 2 March 2019.
CNBC Video interview
[Link] Interview with CNBC called, “Apple's Emoji Origin Story.” This video interview summarizes how I made the emoji. Posted on October 29, 2018.
BBC News | Mundo Online publication
[Link] Interview with BBC Mundo in Spanish. Article describes how I got into design starting with my early days drawing in elementary school. Title of the article is, “Emojis de Apple: Ángela Guzmán, la joven colombiana que creó estos íconos hace una década” / “Apple Emojis: Angela Guzman, the young Colombian who created these icons a decade ago.” Published on December 19, 2018.
Vogue Online publication, India
[Link] While visiting India I was interviewed by Vogue India. Discussed an array of topics, from college years to my time in Silicon Valley. Title of the article, “The secret origin of the poop emoji”. Published on December 4, 2018.
WIRED Magazine Print publication
[Link] Interviewed by WIRED Magazine for the July 2018 issue. The article was titled, “Atomic Unit, The Delicate Art of Emoji.” Page 14. Print.
wired.com Online publication
[Link] Shared backstories to Apple’s fruit and veggie emoji. Title of article is, “Exploji! A Timeline of Emoji's Sudden, Drastic Rise.” Published on July 20, 2018. Web.
The Times of India Online publication
[Link] “Technology a challenge and opportunity for designers”. The Times of India. 26 November 2018. timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Web.
Wallpaper* | China Online publication
[Link] “Grammar of Emoji”. Wallpaper* online interview. 21 August 2019. Web.
Kienyke.com Online publication
[Link] In depth interview with Kienyke, a Colombian news outlet. Shared my career journey, what it was like to grow up in Colombia, moving to the US, and finding my way into tech. Published on January 13, 2019.
Milenio Print and online publication, Mexico
[Link] Milenio, a major national newspaper in Mexico, published an interview in both print (their newspaper) and online. It was titled, “Inventé los emojis de niña… porque no sabía inglés: Ángela Guzmán / I invented the emoji since I was little… because I did not speak English: Angela Guzman”. Printed and published February 17, 2019.
El País Print publication, Colombia
Interview for a newspaper from Cali, Colombia. Title: “Angela Guzmán, la creadora de los emojis más populares de Apple” / “Angela Guzman, the creator of Apple’s most popular emojis”. Printed on January 7, 2019.
elpaís.com.co Online publication, Colombia
[Link] “Angela Guzmán, la creadora de los emojis más populares de Apple” / “Angela Guzman, the creator of Apple’s most popular emojis”. Published on January 7, 2019.
Asia Times Online publication, Korea
[Link] Surcouf, Ophelie.“Korean apps conquer Asia with cute emojis”. Published March 16, 2019.
Aerie Magazine Print publication
[Link] “Angela Guzman, from a curious PTS art student to the designer of the Emoji.” Alumni profile spread. Palmer Trinity School student biannual magazine. Summer 2018: Page 56–57. Print.
elconfidencial.com Online publication, Spain
[Link] Caballero, Lucia. “Esta diseñadora creó los 'emojis' del iPhone: "No podía dejar de reír con la caca risueña” / “This designer created the 'emojis' of the iPhone: ‘I could not stop laughing with the laughing poop’.” El Confidencial 3 June 2018. elconfidencial.com. Web.
Free Press Newspaper Print publication
Java, Theresa. “Emoji creator inspired by the Keys.” Free Press Newspaper 25 April 2018: Page 1 and 4. Print.
keysnews.com Online publication
[Link] Java, Theresa. “Emoji creator inspired by the Keys.” Free Press Newspaper 25 April 2018. keysnews.com. Web.
nrc.nl Online publication, Holland
[Link] Willemsen, Marit. “The trainee who designed 180 emoji (including the infamous eggplant).” NRC Handelsblad Newspaper 27 March 2018. nrc.nl. Web.
our.risd.edu Online publication
[Link] “Looking Back at Apple’s First Emoji.” Our RISD Blog. 21 January 2018. our.risd.edu. Web.
La Revue des Médias Online publication, France
[Link] French interview by Ophélie Surcouf titled “Comment les émojis asiatiques ont fait le succès des applis de messagerie”. 5 May 2019. larevuedesmedias.ina.fr. Web.
Phosphore Print publication
[Link] French magazine publication. July 2019 issue. Interviewed regarding the making of Apple’s emoji.
RISD Viewbook Print publication
[Link] Featured in the 2018–2019 Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) undergraduate admissions magazine as part of their alumni profile section.
Women of Invention: Life-Changing Ideas by Remarkable Women
Some of my earliest work in the industry, along with a brief bio, can be found in this book. Montague, Charlotte. Women of Invention: Life-Changing Ideas by Remarkable Women. New York: Chartwell Books, 2018.
Radio & podcasts
Caracol, A Vivir Que Son Dos Días Live radio, Colombia
[Link] Morning interview on Caracol’s weekend radio show. Discussed what inspires me while designing, how I apply my heritage into my work, and reflected on the last 10+ years of my career. 19 January 2019.
La FM Live radio, Colombia
Interview with La FM, a Colombian radio station. Shared some anecdotes of my transition from drawing in class all the way to designing interfaces. 24 December 2018. Radio.
WRadio Live radio, Colombia
[Link] Title of interview, “La joven colombiana que creó algunos de los emojis mas populares de Apple” / “The young Colombian who created some of the most popular Apple emoji”. 12 December 2018. Radio.
Caracol, Hoy x Hoy Live radio, Colombia
Arizmendi, Darío; Fontalvo, Erika; Quinn, Darcy; Moreno, César; and Londoño, César Augusto. 6AM Hoy por Hoy (Tramo de 10:00 a 11:00). 8 August 2018. Radio.
Radio Nacional de España (RNE) Live radio, Spain
Caballero, Ainhoa. “El perfil de Ángela Guzmán, creadora de emoji.” Pre-recorded radio segment. Las mañanas de RNE, Quinta hora. 9 July 2018. Radio.
Radio Nacional de España (RNE) Live radio, Spain
García, José Antonio. “Ángela Guzmán, diseñadora de los primeros emoyis para Apple.” Esto me suena. Las tardes del Ciudadano García. 16 March 2018. Radio.
Emoji Wrap (Emojipedia) Podcast
[Link] Burge, Jeremy. “A festive party popper with Angela Guzman.” Audio blog post. Emoji Wrap. 1 February 2018. Web.
How to draw a startup Podcast
[Link] Grambau, Mark. “Step 6: Sweat the small stuff” covers how four young creatives—and the tech industry—came to embrace design and illustration. 21 February 2019. Web.
Talks
United Nations, CSW63 March 2019 — New York, New York
Invited to presented a talk at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women during a parallel NGO event. The gathering centered around the empowerment of women entrepreneurs. Q & A followed.
India Design Confluence November 2018 — Gujarat, India
Invited to speak at India Design Confluence at the Unitedworld Institute of Design at Karnavati University. Shared thoughts on the intuitive design language, followed by a panel talk. Met with faculty, students, and other designers from an array of disciplines.
Universidad de Palermo October 2018 — Buenos Aires, Argentina
Guest lecturer and mentor. Shared thoughts on the intuitive design language. Met with design students to review their work and resume, provided guidance and tips.
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana October 2018 — Bucaramanga, Colombia
Provided curriculum suggestions to faculty at this university and presented two topics as a guest speaker; one on intuitive design and the other on how to enter into tech. Both topics were in Spanish, followed by Q&A.
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana October 2018 — Medellin, Colombia
Guest speaker at one of Colombian’s UPB campuses. Gave a talk on how to get into tech while discussing high level UX principles. Presented in Spanish.
Instituto Universitario de Envigado October 2018 — Medellin, Colombia
Presented a UX design talk to college students, faculty, and other members of this university in Spanish. Followed by Q&A from the audience questions and mentorship guidance.
University of Illinois September 2018 — Urbana, Illinois
Guest speaker at the University of Illinois’ Schools of Business and Art & Applied Arts. Presentation centered around design processes and career trajectory. Provided one-on-one career guidance to students.
AIGA Design for Inclusivity Industry Summit August 2018 — St. Louis, Mississippi
Invited to participate in conversations centered around diverse hiring and inclusivity within product design along with other industry leaders from a variety of companies and educational institutions.
LAYERS Conference June 2018 — San Jose, CA
Presented a talk called, “The Intuitive Design Language: How to design universally understood interfaces” at a two-day conference about design and technology.
Refresh Miami April 2018 — Miami, Florida
[Link] Fireside chat interview in front of 200 people. Talk centered around my design career, how I got started and where it has taken me. Audience was composed of students and working professional in design and tech.
Palmer Trinity School April 2018 — Miami, Florida
Presented in front of the entire middle and high school art student body. Explained how I became a designer and found a path in tech. Provided visual examples, answered questions, and inspired a handful of young artists.
Contribution
The Next Web
[Link] Guzman, Angela. “On Apple emoji’s 10th anniversary, the intern who designed them tells all.” The Next Web January 2018. tnw.com. Web.
Fast Company
[Link] Guzman, Angela. “The Summer I Worked On The Original Apple Emoji.” Fast Company 11 January 2018. fastcompany.com. Web.
SSPAI Chinese publication
Guzman, Angela. “The Making of Apple’s Emoji: How designing these tiny icons changed my life.” SSPAI 19 January 2018. sspai.com. Web.
Medium
[Link] Guzman, Angela. “The Making of Apple’s Emoji: How designing these tiny icons changed my life.” Medium 11 January 2018. medium.com. Web.
Media mentions
HOLA! Online publication
[Link] Jacobs, Rebecah. “Colombian Intern Angela Guzman Helped Create Apple’s Emojis Back in 2008.” HOLA! 17 March 2022. hola.com. Web.
Forbes Online publication
[Link] Vassallo, Steve. “In Startups, Diversity Is Disruptive”. Forbes 16 July 2020. forbes.com. Web.
Emojipedia Blog
[Link] “Who Created The Original Apple Emoji Set?”. Emojipedia 21 November 2018. blog.emojipedia.org. Web.
Dinero Online publication
[Link] “La colombiana que creó emojis de Apple hace una década”. Dinero 19 December 2018. semana.com. Web.
9 to 5 Mac Online publication
Steeber, Michael. “Building more than apps: The welcoming community at WWDC 2018”. 9 to 5 Mac 11 June 2018. 9to5mac.com. Web.
Fast Company Online publication
[Link] Grothaus, Michael. “Apple’s original ice-cream cone emoji was topped with poo.” Fast Company 19 January 2018. fastcompany.com. Web.
Daily Mail Online publication
[Link] Haney, Stephanie. “From perfecting the freckles on eggplants to reusing the poo swirl design on the ice cream cone: Apple intern who helped create the first emojis reveals secrets behind the smileys.” DailyMail 12 January 2018. dailymail.co.uk. Web.
9 to 5 Mac Online publication
Clover, Juli. “How an Apple intern and her mentor created Apple’s first 500 emoji.” 9 to 5 Mac 11 January 2018. 9to5mac.com. Web.
Mac Rumors Online publication
Clover, Juli. “Former Apple Intern Looks Back at Designing First Apple Emoji in 2008.” Macrumors 11 January 2018. macrumors.com. Web.
remezcla.com US · munchies.vice.com US · dinero.com Colombian · iphoneincanada.ca Canadian · bgr.com US · wccftech.com US · iphonehacks.com US · idownloadblog.com US · fastcodesign.com US · arturogoga Spanish · stern.de German · iphoneincanada.ca Canadian · macwelt.de German · macworld.idg.se Swedish · iphoned.nl Dutch · iphoneitalia.com Italian · macmagazine.com.br Brazilian · technews.tw Taiwan · letemsvetemapplem.eu Czech · iphoned.nl Dutch · newspatroling.com Indian · daijiworld.com Indian · emojipedia.org UK · techthelead.com · reasonswhy.es Spanish · heise.de Dutch · lafm.com.co Colombian · colombianoindignado.com Colombian · and a handful more…