사용자 경험 극대화를 위한 메타버스 플랫폼 연구 - 어포던스 디자인을 중심으로 -

Abstract

(Background and Purpose) The metaverse has experienced a significant resurgence, especially due to the pandemic-driven normalization of contactless culture, resulting in a continuous expansion of the associated market. Technological advancements introduced by various companies and the broadened experiences of users have contributed to the metaverse market's provision of services that offer more diverse interactions than previously available. Although there have been technological advancements and the availability of various platforms, scholarly research has primarily focused on the use of metaverse platforms. However, there is a significant lack of studies that concentrate on implementing user experience to actualize spaces and services. Since it is necessary to understand the user experience characteristics centered on the affordance design for the metaverse and to study the factors that maximize the user experience so that users can continue to use and be attracted, the purpose of this study is to derive the direction and characteristics of the construction that can maximize the user experience when building a metaverse virtual world platform. (Methods) This study utilizes a thorough research methodology, including a literature review of metaverse concepts, types, and virtual world characteristics, as well as an analysis of affordance theories to determine factors that enhance user experience. A virtual world platform is then selected based on the evaluation factors, and case studies are analyzed to provide direct experiences. The study concludes by synthesizing comprehensive insights from the analysis results. (Results) The investigation uncovers the strategic methods used by different platforms to attract users, maximizing their experience within virtual realms. The study identifies affordance types as influential in user engagement, with sensory affordances having the greatest impact. The immersion level of navigation bars, spaces, and avatars in the metaverse virtual world significantly contributes to improving affordance types and, consequently, enhancing user experience. When examining blockchain platforms, particularly in the context of Korea, it becomes clear that the lack of institutionalized laws on blockchain is hindering the expansion of the blockchain economic system. It is crucial to strengthen compatibility and accessibility in virtual world platforms to provide more diverse experiences. It is worth noting that each platform, except for ROBLOX, has different compatible devices, which could potentially limit user utilization. (Conclusions) The results presented above clearly demonstrate the need for legislation of the metaverse and expansion of the economic experience for its users. Specifically, expanding the range of devices capable of running the metaverse in various ways is essential to maximize user experience. The metaverse is rapidly expanding, offering new experiences and communication methods across various platforms. It promises to bring diverse changes to the real world by integrating the virtual and physical realms. Users will have more opportunities to actively engage with the metaverse.