Designing Digital Humans: A Systematic Review of User Experience in Avatar-Mediated Interaction

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/Report › Conference contribution › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is currently undergoing profound shifts, moving from graphical user interfaces (GUIs) toward natural or conversational interactions with “Digital Beings”. These digital human models (DHM) or Avatars are no longer confined to human factor applications, entertainment, and digital social activities, but emerging fields such as marketing, education, training, and digital healthcare. However, technological advancement and adoption have outpaced the empirical and theoretical understanding of perception and User Experience (UX) surrounding these DHMs. Consequently, design choices for digital human avatars are often arbitrary, tech-or budget-driven rather than evidence-based.To address this, this systematic literature review aims to contribute to a holistic understanding of avatar-mediated interactions and experiences through analysis of digital human research from 2015 to 2025 following the PRISMA statement. It explores the factors impacting user perception and UX of digital human avatars by analyzing endpoints, methodologies and contexts of empirical user studies, and synthesizes findings on top through thematic analysis of previous systematic reviews, meta-analyses and theoretical frameworks. This review finds major gaps in determining the optimal level of avatar characteristics such as realism, stylization and familiarity, their nuanced relationship to user acceptance, comfort, trust, engagement and various other outcomes. Furthermore, this review illustrates the limitations of conventional usability and UX metrics for avatar-mediated interaction, which inherently involves social and cultural aspects. This review necessitates the development of new, context-aware and adaptable frameworks to measure both the perceptual dimensions of digital human avatars and the experience mediated.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Digital Human Modeling III
EditorsGregor Harih, Vasja Plesec
PublisherSpringer, Cham
Pages156 - 169
Number of pages14
ISBN (electronic)978-3-032-30159-8
ISBN (print)978-3-032-30158-1
Publication statusPublished - 2 Aug 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

Publication series

SeriesLecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Volume2173
ISSN2367-3370

Conference

Title10th International Digital Human Modelling Symposium
Abbreviated titleDHM 2026
Conference number10
Duration1 - 3 July 2026
Website
Degree of recognitionInternational event
LocationUniversity of Maribor
CityMaribor
CountrySlovenia

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-2862-9196/work/223383913
ORCID /0009-0001-1210-4080/work/223386962
Mendeley 3635c1e5-c2bb-36fe-8f2d-ad76d969d5b7
unpaywall 10.1007/978-3-032-30159-8_14
Scopus 105048228458

Keywords

Research priority areas of TU Dresden

  • Societal Change - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience
  • Mobile Communication - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience

DFG Classification of Subject Areas according to Review Boards

Subject groups, research areas, subject areas according to Destatis

  • Visual Communication - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience
  • Industrial Design / Product Design - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience
  • Design Theory, History - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience
  • Computer and Communication Technologies - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Control and Systems Engineering - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience
  • Signal Processing - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience
  • Computer Networks and Communications - avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience

Keywords

  • avatar, human-computer interaction, perception, systematic literature review, user experience, Avatar, Human-computer interaction, Perception, Systematic literature review, User experience