A cognitive map-driven avatar design recommendation DSS and its empirical validity

With the advent of the Internet era and the maturation of electronic commerce, strategic avatar design has become an important way of keeping up with market changes and customer tastes. In this study, we propose a new DSS for an adaptive avatar design that uses a cognitive map (CM) as a what-if simulation vehicle. The main virtue of the proposed avatar design recommendation DSS (abbreviated as ADR-DSS) is its ability to change specific avatar design features with objective consideration of the subsequent effects upon other design features, thereby enhancing user satisfaction. An avatar represents a user's self-identity and desire for self-disclosure. Therefore, the claim is made that there is a relationship between the characteristics of avatar design features and the choice of avatar. The considerations in this study are props (garments, facial expression, and miscellaneous) and subjective judgments (self-image and user satisfaction). The results of both brainstorming and focus group interviews with a group of avatar experts were used to objectively organize the CM. All the experts who participated are currently working in developing and designing avatar features in portal websites. Incorporating the CM as a model base, the proposed ADR-DSS was implemented, and two scenarios were presented for illustration. To prove the validity of the ADR-DSS, a rigorous survey was performed, obtaining statistically significant results.