정서표현과 아바타 캐릭터의 시각화

Abstract

The present study purposed to analyze visual design elements for users' emotional expression through avatar characters in online community space of virtual environment. It is because users' emotional expression is closely related to avatar characters' visual expression through social synchronization. We limited the scope of research to avatar characters found in online community space and investigated within the range of emotional expression components. As for the contents of research, we reviewed the origin of avatars in Hinduism and the characteristics of avatars on the Web, and comparatively analyzed the elements of emotional expression such as subjective emotion, functional emotion, emotional expression behavior and physiological reaction as well as the visual expression of avatar characters. Avatar characters found in online community space were used as research models. According to the results of this study, users' emotion can be expressed with various visual elements of avatars and, through this, socially synchronized interaction is activated in virtual environment. Socially synchronized emotional expression and avatars' visual expression are meaningful in that they work as important criteria for interaction in online community space and activate internal interaction between senders and receivers.