Presenting identity in a virtual world through avatar appearances

One of the first tasks that people must do when entering a virtual world (VW) is create a virtual representation for themselves. In many VWs, this means creating an avatar that represents some desired appearance, whether a reflection of one’s real life self, or a different identity. We investigate the variety of ways in which people create and evolve avatar appearances in the VW of Second Life (SL) through contextual interviews. Our findings reveal that users balance pressures from the societal norms of SL with the need to create an appearance that matches a desired virtual identity. These identity needs differ based on four types of users— Realistics, Ideals, Fantasies, and Roleplayers—where each presents unique challenges for avatar design. Current research tends to focus on the needs of only one of these user types.