Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Charlit Floriano 

MA 3D Animation

My name is Charlit (Sh-are-lit) and I am a 2D/3D artist based out of so-called Canada. My work continues to change as I navigate the intersections between 2D image-making and the constant advancement of 3D, however communicating emotion through tone and style will always be the top priority ✿ The past few years I have worked in the animation industry as a texturing artist, hybrid asset lead, assistant art director, matte painter and lighting artist- as well as pursuing freelance, workshop facilitation and personal projects.

Understanding Virtual Bodies: A Case for the Use of Simple & Stylized Avatars in Social VR

The Social Virtual Reality platform VRchat allows users to upload custom avatars, creating digital bodies that interact with virtual worlds and people in 3D space. My research theorizes the advantages of using stylized avatars in Social VR, how design can impact user behaviour and the current application of anime and hyper-sexualized avatars in VRchat. I then designed a custom avatar that utilizes simplified features and shape to explore a feminine identity that subverts the expectations of the "e-girl". It successfully challenged other users' ideas of what is “normal” in VRchat, but I would like to more thoroughly investigate the impact it may be having on behaviour long-term. Character design is a powerful tool in communicating culture, values and identity. When character design is applied to embodied experiences, like social VR, every choice has the potential to impact a user's individual experience as well as the culture.