Applying co-design in social VR
Ágnes Karolina Bakk, Maria Karyda, Borbála Tölgyesi · CoDesign · 2025
In recent years, digital and virtual ethnography have been the primary ways of engaging remotely with users in VR spaces. In the same context, co-design has been a methodology that, despite its democratic premise, has been accessible only to a few researchers due to socio-economic reasons. This raises practical and ethical questions about using co-design in social VR (sVR) contexts, challenging design researchers to creatively address these issues. In this article, we investigate how we can use the participatory design principles as a lens to understand users’ practices in VRChat in designing more just and equitable virtual environments. We conducted interviews with 26 participants. We found that self-expression and community dynamics are interwoven, presenting a democratic environment of exchange; VR users perform mutual learning by developing their own social cues; there is a need for justice and transparency in the context of identifying vulnerable groups; and that sVR may support alternative technological futures unique to the medium’s social practices. We discuss design directions and critically reflect on the ethical implications of designing for virtual environments.