The main objective of this workshop is to determine the best way to represent specific populations using avatars within a research setting. Each population will be focused on individually thus allowing for an in depth analysis of older and vulnerable populations. Thus the workshop while providing an overview of avatar design in general for research purposes, will also provide a specified look at what gives an avatar distinct advantages in terms of representing a population in the digital world.
The workshop will also focus on the objective of disseminating insights from research on the area of avatar design. Looking into and discussing important discoveries such as; the proteus effect (Yee and Bailenson, 2007), Illusion of Virtual Body Ownership (IVBO) (Lugrin et al, 2016), Avatar Realism and Perception (Ogawa, Narumi, & Hirose, 2018) and Self-Expansion Theory (SET) (Schöbel, Janson, 2008) to name a few. The dissemination and discussion of such insights as these will provide the attendees of this workshop with more general knowledge of the field of avatar design, which can in turn aid them in further understanding previously mentioned population specific objectives.