Keriyo Emoticons are a nostalgic, highly detailed digital icon set created by designer Deleket (Jojo Mendoza) on DeviantArt. They have captured renewed interest as online communities look back fondly on the distinct visual style of the 2000s internet.
Unlike the flat, uniform emojis dictated by the Unicode Standard on our phones today, the Keriyo pack represents the peak of glossy, expressive “skeuomorphic” desktop customisation from the early web era. The Origin Story
The pack was originally uploaded to DeviantArt in December 2007. The creator named the collection “Keriyo,” a title inspired directly by a personal friend. It was released as a free icon set intended for personal, non-commercial use—perfect for web design, avatar customisation, and personalizing desktop dock setups. Why People Remember and Talk About Them
The ongoing fascination with the Keriyo pack boils down to nostalgia and a craving for digital individuality:
Peak Y2K and Web 2.0 Aesthetics: The icons feature rich gradients, distinct shadows, and a glossy, “bubbly” 3D look. This design language stands in stark contrast to modern, flat minimal interfaces.
Unfiltered Emotional Variety: The set includes 36 distinct icons tracking hyper-specific moods. Beyond standard smiles, it covers unique expressions like a cigar-smoking face, money-eyes, multiple escalating levels of anger, yawning, and extreme shock.
The Era of Messenger Customisation: For netizens who grew up using MSN Messenger, AOL, or early forum layouts, custom emoticon packs were the primary way to flex your personality online. Keriyo is widely regarded as a classic hallmark of that internet culture. How They Differ From Modern Emojis
While we use modern emojis as built-in text characters today, the Keriyo Emoticons are high-resolution graphic assets. Because they were built at a large 300×300 pixel size, they function more like digital illustrations, stickers, or buddy icons rather than tiny typographical marks.
Are you looking to download the original set for a retro web project, or are you exploring old-school Web 2.0 graphics for design inspiration? Let me know what you’re working on! Keriyo Emoticons by deleket on DeviantArt
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