We will work on designing individual avatars that will represent each
of you. The purpose of this activity is to reflect on how we use our bodies to
communicate with the world. The workshop is also supposed to be a fun icebreaker and
we are hoping that it will alleviate some of the Zoom fatigue that many of us have been
experiencing during the pandemic.

OPTION #1 (RECOMMENDED): Create an interactive avatar using the Loomie
app.

Use the free Loomie app to create an individual interactive avatar that will be
superimposed on your actual face/body during our Zoom tutorial meeting. Here is an idea
of how an individual interactive avatar can look like:

Prior to our Tutorial 1 meeting, please prepare the following:

● Download the following apps (you will need to use both a laptop and your
smartphone in order to customize your avatar and participate in the Zoom call
simultaneously):

  • Loomie app on your smartphone (to create the avatar based on your selfie);
  • Loomie Live app on your laptop (it is a video cam app that will allow using
    the avatar on Zoom).
    ● Detailed guidelines on how to download and set up these apps are presented in
    this online tutorial (it includes guidelines both for Google Meets and Zoom –
    focus on the latter for the purposes of our tutorial workshop):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HeUiNW_zfE&feature=youtu.be .
    ● Please take the following steps before our first tutorial meeting to prevent
    technical problems:
  • Please begin customizing your avatar on your phone using the Loomie app.
    Have fun and experiment with this! You will receive guidelines from your
    Tutor during our first tutorial meeting on making further modifications.
  • While customizing your avatar, consider how you want to present yourself to
    others – the avatar does not have to look very similar to you (instead, it might
    represent how you feel, how you want to be perceived by others, or what you
    want to communicate to them);
  • Please test if your avatar works with Zoom via the Loomie Live app on your
    laptop (by checking if it shows up after you switch the camera to Loomie
    Live).

During our first tutorial meeting via Zoom (January 27-February 1, depending on
your section):

  • Please attend Tutorial 1 on Zoom using your laptop (otherwise the avatar
    will not show up in Zoom).
  • Please have your smartphone at hand during Tutorial 1 as you will use it
    to further modify/customize your avatar.

During the subsequent tutorials, you can decide if you prefer to attend these meetings
using your video camera or the Loomie Live video camera (your interactive avatar).

OPTION #2: Create an avatar using an alternative method.

While we recommend trying out Loomie for learning purposes as an example of an
embodied experience, we understand that some students may not be able or willing to set
up the Loomie app to use for class. Here are some alternative options for creating an
avatar:

● Draw/paint/sculpt/design your own avatar. Then take a photo/screenshot of
your creation to share and continue modifying during our first tutorial meeting.
● Select some images that you feel represent you in various ways. Combine
these images to create a single picture that will serve as your avatar. You will
have time to continue modifying your picture during our first tutorial meeting.
● Use a different app to create your own digital avatar. This will likely be a
static image when used on Zoom. Note that the Loomie app works with Zoom so
that your avatar will move and interact based on your bodily movements and
expressions.