Embodied identity and technological mediation in digital avatars: An analysis from user experience

Abstract

This article explores the avatar as a technological and cultural mediator of identity in virtual environments, framed within a critical perspective on traditional usability metrics in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI). It proposes moving toward dimensions such as authenticity, affectivity, and embodiment. To this end, a qualitative and interpretive methodology was adopted, including expert interviews and user tests on specific digital platforms, which demonstrated the avatar’s importance in mediating identity and emotional dimensions. The results show that the personalization and expressive capacity of these representations directly influence affective experience and users’ perception of presence and authenticity. The discussion critically addresses the need for new epistemologies for UX design that consider the ethical and cultural implications of conceiving the avatar as a symbolic construction that both reflects and influences sociocultural norms. Finally, the article concludes by recommending the integration of a more complex and nuanced perspective into contemporary design—focused on digital materiality and its effects on user identity and experience. These findings underscore the need to consider the redistribution of agency between humans and systems, which impacts criteria of authenticity and presence.