The World Emoji Day Bash retrospective uses emojis as a fun, universal way to reflect on your team’s recent sprint, helping everyone express wins, woes, and ideas visually. It brings energy and creativity to the process while driving thoughtful improvements.

When to use this template

This format is especially effective when your team is looking to lighten the mood, boost engagement, or add creative energy to routine retrospectives. It’s perfect around World Emoji Day or whenever you want to try a fresh, playful approach.

How to facilitate

Welcome the team and introduce the theme, encouraging everyone to use emojis freely in their reflections.

Review the three columns and briefly explain their focus—trying new things (Kick Off New Emojis), stopping what’s outdated (Retire Redundant Emojis), and celebrating what works (Keep These Reactions).

Give participants a few quiet minutes to jot down thoughts in each column, using emojis to summarize or highlight their points.

Invite each person to share their notes, explaining the meaning behind their chosen emojis for deeper understanding and laughter.

Facilitate group discussion on recurring themes, focusing on actionable items for practices to start, stop, and continue.

Collaborate as a team to prioritize one or two key improvements inspired by the discussion.

Wrap up with a quick group selfie using everyone’s favorite emoji—or share a single team emoji that reflects the session’s mood.

Pro Tips

Remind participants that emojis can represent feelings, achievements, or team culture—get creative and have fun with it.

Use emoji reactions during discussion to instantly vote or signal agreement for ideas.

Encourage everyone to explain their emoji choices to ensure clarity and spark conversation.

Rotate who picks the ‘team emoji’ at the end to spread ownership and engagement.

Capture the most meaningful emoji-summary and share it in your team chat as a fun reminder.

FAQ

What if someone isn’t comfortable using emojis?

Encourage them to participate at their comfort level—text descriptions are always welcome, and a mix of emoji and text ensures everyone can join in.

How do we avoid miscommunication with emojis?

Invite team members to explain their emoji choices during sharing. This helps avoid misunderstandings and sparks meaningful conversations.

What if the discussion becomes too silly and loses focus?

Keep the tone light but purposeful, guiding the team back to actionable points while embracing the playful theme.

Is this format appropriate for serious topics?

For very sensitive or critical issues, consider combining this template with more traditional reflection methods to ensure all voices and concerns are addressed.

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At a glance

Duration
35–50 min
Team Size
4-10 people
Columns
3 columns
Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective

🎉🌐 World Emoji Day Bash

Let’s celebrate our sprint with the universal language of emojis! Share your wins, woes, and wishes using your favorite icons as we reflect, laugh, and plan a more expressive path forward together.

Template Columns

🚦✨ Kick Off New Emojis

⛔🤯 Retire Redundant Emojis

👍😁 Keep These Reactions

About this template