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Can I use the 💩 character as a legitimate status indication on, say, a web application, or in a desktop application? Or will it offend/embarrass people?
NSFW = "Not safe/suitable for work", although it's also become generally used regardless of the environment (for example: public places), and speaks to a general impression given.
This doesn't mean it won't get the job done for your users and the best way to find that out is ask a few of them and gauge their reaction.
Keep in mind that just because something delights users when they first encounter it doesn't mean it will stay delightful on subsequent visits. This is especially true when it gets in the way of getting their task accomplished.
Consider what you're trying to communicate and see if there is a more universal way to say it.
Look for a solution which doesn't cater to one persona over another. In the case of a poo emoji you could communicate the same sentiment with the frown or angry (or possibly ice cream?) emoji.
I would suggest that it isn't necessarily offensive but juvenile, so it very much depends on the style, context and audience of your app.
Ask yourself if the app is available worldwide? I can only speak with authority about my own culture, which may be different than others.
What might be totally inappropriate for a retirement savings website might be good fun in a mobile chat app.
On the other hand, I know a (very serious) medical lab that deals with stool samples. They use this emoji internally to disarm otherwise awkward discussions. "💩 Remember your PPE!"
In other words, I would say it's safe from an NSFW perspective, but you'll have to decide if it's appropriate.
On a Monday morning, I didn't expect to start my day with this question. I am amused and smiling and not embarrassed at all.
Having said that, it depends on the target audience and context of your application. I would definitely not use this in enterprise or professional apps as we are expected to maintain some sort of decorum in the way we design our interfaces.
At the same time, if you are building something for teenagers, or people expecting your app to have a funny, quirky and amusing way of interacting, I'd not hesitate to keep this as a status indication.
Here are a few options for escalation status icons.
😐, 😩, 😡, 💩, 💩✴
The last being '💩 hits the fan' but I am sure you can come up with a better icon.
I would classify something as NSFW when it runs the risk of creating a hostile (in the sense of discrimination, sexual harassment, etc.) environment for others you're interacting professionally with - coworkers, clients, customers, etc. I don't think the poop emoji fits this criterion. It's potentially gross, juvenile, etc. but not hostile. This may vary by culture and context, of course.
Now, whether it's suitable/good UX, which seems to be what you really want to know, is another matter, and really depends on your application's audience. The answer by cloudworks gives a great example of a unique situation in which I think it is very appropriate. Apps with casual/lighthearted purpose, which people interact with purely by choice, not because it's something they need to use to get work done, would also be candidates where you could consider its use, contingent on cultural considerations. In most contexts, though, I think it will just, well, make your app look like 💩.
Isn't interesting that we've invented emoticons to convey emotion that is difficult to do in text. That said, when I read an official document or communication from a corporation, I neither expect or want to find an emoticon.
Are emoticons safe for work - sure. Are they appropriate for official communication, probably not. Are the appropriate for email between colleagues - probably not.
In the game Furcadia, we deliberately blocked and filtered out codepoints in the Fixedsys Excelsior 2 font which mapped to penises, poops, and other such things, as it was an app that could be used by children. This was more about the penises than the poops, though.
Still, it is arguably considered, at least by one company, as "not child safe".
Based on this, if your work could be used by children, then you could argue it is also "not work safe".
From a UX standpoint, I would recommend an icon with a more universally-understood message: in Japan, the poop emoji means "I am very sorry, I messed up". In the US, it is a funny emoji with no fixed reason.
My opinion on the matter is that an icon like this, as a status, would represent something bad or undesirable happening. If I were a worker using this program and I encountered this problem, be it an small error or a critical failure on a hypothetical shop floor, the last thing I would want is a bit of comedy sprinkled on top of a terrible situation. So, it really depends on when you're displaying it. As an ignorant user, I might wonder something along the lines of, "Why did they take the time to put this icon here, rather than prevent the error?!"
If that makes sense.
