Really, What Are Wingdings and Why Are They Important?

”How is this still a thing?” Well, there’s a good answer to that.

Before the emoji, there was the Wingdings font. Depending on your age, you may not necessarily recognize these symbols by name, but you have probably seen them in various documents over the years.

This font brings up a few questions that we have long been hoping to find the answers: Where did they come from, these squiggles, flowers, arrows and pictographs? What is their purpose? Why on Earth do we still have them as a font, despite the fact that you’ve never seen or heard of anybody using them for anything other than to goof off during class?

Thankfully, we are pleased to say that we finally know why wingdings still exist and why they are important. Watch the below video to learn the origin and purpose of this weird collection of symbols.

Then check out this story about the time before fonts and how some are preserving the lost art of handwriting.

Had you heard of the Wingdings font before? Did you know its purpose or history prior to watching the video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!