Ett identifierat problem inom modebranschen idag är den mängd returer som utförs till följd av felbeställningar av kläder som är köpta online. Tre anledningar till felbeställningar som leder till returer är att konsumenterna inte kan prova plaggen innan köp, produktbilderna är missvisande, eller att storleks beskrivningen inte överensstämmer med verklig storlek. Denna studien undersöker om det finns ett samband mellan felbeställningar och att konsumenter inte fysiskt kan prova de kläder som de köper online. Vidare syftar denna studien till att undersöka om innovativ digital teknik kan bidra till en lösning av det identifierade problemet. Studien är utförd genom en blandad forskningsmetod där information kring tidigare forskning och ny data samlats in genom litteraturstudier, intervjuer och enkätundersökningar. Studien förstärker den initiala hypotesen att det i dagsläget finns väldigt lite forskning kring kopplingen Metaverse, e-handel och digital provning. Studien visar dock att det finns ett intresse från både konsumenter och producenter att lära sig mer om Metaverse och eventuellt implementera och använda tekniken i framtiden. För att detta ska ske behöver teknologin utvecklas och man behöver också göra stora ekonomiska insatser. / An identified problem in the fashion industry today is the amount of returns made due to incorrect orders for clothes purchased online. Three reasons for incorrect orders that lead to returns are that consumers can not try on the garments before buying, the product images are misleading, or the size description does not correspond to the actual size. This paper examines whether there is a link between wrong orders and whether consumers can not physically try on the clothes they buy online. Furthermore, this paper investigates whether innovative digital technology can contribute to a solution to the identified problem. The paper was carried out through a mixed research method where information about previous research and new data was collected through literature studies, interviews, and questionnaires. The paper strengthens the initial hypothesis that there is currently very little research on the Metaverse connection, e-commerce, and digital testing. However, the paper shows that consumers and producers are interested in learning more about Metaverse and possibly implementing and using the technology in the future. For this to happen, technology needs to be developed and great financial efforts also need to be made.

In this thesis I cover the theoretical framework and the practice based implications of bringing the fundamental principles of a cybernetic art educational strategy, the Groundcourse, which was developed and taught during the 1960’s in England by Roy Ascott, into the virtual, three dimensional builder’s world of the metaverse; to be implemented there as a non-institutional, voluntary, self-directed, adult oriented learning system for avatars – one which is expected to be taught by avatar instructors who will formulate the specifics of their curriculum and their methods based upon the cardinal tenets of the Groundcourse, which have been summarized by Roy Ascott as a flexible structure, “within which everything can find its place, and every individual his way,” which would give dimension and substance to the will to create and to change. In order to be able to set the groundwork for the adaptation of the Groundcourse’s principles to my model I have conducted literature reviews in experiential learning theories, with an emphasis on self-directed learning; as well as cybernetic learning. These I have combined with a survey of play theory and virtual world studies, particularly those focusing upon the avatar and metaverse creativity. From all of these I have woven together a foundation which I have combined with a visual documentation which may serve as case studies for my proposal. The new knowledge embodied through this thesis is a learning system for the creative fields that is designed specifically for the residents of online virtual worlds, and yet has its foundations in an earlier, well established and well regarded model.

1 Abstract Current endeavors in the tech-industry to create the first true metaverse, alongside other things, sparked the emergence of interest around virtual avatars, namely in the NFT community. Given the complexity of design-challenges associated with creating an immersive metaverse, its avatars and the systems they evolve around, this paper aims to understand user desires and motivational patterns for avatar selection in VRChat, a game that resembles much of what a future metaverse could look like. Therefore, nine qualitative interviews with a random sample of VRChat users were conducted. The number of participants was limited due to time constraints, and the results hence might be skewed towards a certain perspective; also, with the risk of users not answering truthfully, et cetera. In a broad sense, the key results validated Lin & Wang’s (2014) four motivational patterns of avatar creation (Virtual Exploration, Social Navigation, Identity Representation and Contextual Adaptation), however with significant differences and nuances within those, indicating important subtypes for each category. Preceding research however did not take into account the effects that apply to users employing advanced VR equipment. Statements from such participants in fact suggest the existence of a fifth dimension (Physical Sensation - the “feeling” of an avatar), possibly caused by a heightened sense of presence (due to using said equipment). On this note, the widespread implementation of mirrors in VRChat worlds, along with the discovery of what players described as “mirror-dwelling”, might also have a serious impact on this phenomenon. Furthermore, the results matched concepts such as the Proteus Effect and Deindividuation theory.

Background: The fashion retail industry has undergone a major transformation due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise of technical innovations. This transformation led to the emergence of digital fashion, a new concept integrating experimental technologies, including artificial intelligence, and augmented reality, which further has progressed towards the Metaverse. The Metaverse is a new consumption space without precedent changing how people communicate, create value, and generate economies. The emergence of the Metaverse is predicted to generate trillions of users in the upcoming ten years across user and enterprise use cases, altering the fashion retail industry. Research problem: Despite heavy investments in digital innovations in the retail fashion industry, the topic of innovation adoption remains understudied. As innovation is deemed one of the main drivers of business success, companies must know how to introduce them and understand the impacting factors of success. With Metaverse being the newest innovation that could alter the retail fashion industry, it requires more research and understanding of the impacting external factors that will influence its diffusion over time. Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to close the identified gap by identifying the external factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of Metaverse in the fashion industry. Further, it aims to generate a greater comprehension of the overall attitude toward this innovation.  Research question: What are the external factors and how do they influence the adoption and diffusion of Metaverse innovation in the fashion industry? Method: This is an exploratory qualitative study with an inductive approach. It follows the social constructionism epistemology and the relativistic ontology. Along with the grounded theory, the data is collected through interviews and from the social platform Reddit and analyzed through thematic analysis.  Conclusion: Our findings identify five external factors influencing the diffusion of Metaverse: Regulations, Technology, Digital skillset, Attitude, and Network effects. These factors interact with each other in the innovation process, and our conceptual framework offers a deeper understanding of its diffusion.

It has become possible to say that the metaverse is a great opportunity for investment and trade, as it provides massive financial returns. The metaverse is the next evolution in social connection and the successor to the mobile internet. Non-fungible tokens represent the ownership of unique items in the metaverse and allow the creator to tokenize things like art, real estate, and collectibles. Trading NFT in the metaverse faces challenges, including security, fraud, and scams. Those challenges have negatively affected the stability of this market. “How can NFT trading in metaverse be improved?” is the main question of this thesis to overcome the challenges. The author performed a systematic literature review to survey and explore the possibility of using technologies to reach the ideal use of NFT in the metaverse. The systematic literature review will guide the researcher to gain more information to evaluate it in the research area. Furthermore, Pointing and identifying the gaps and knowledge needed between the research elements. Three main challenges are presented (identity verification, fraud, and ownership) in areas in which technologies that can provide (flexibility, reliability, accuracy, and performance) can apply. Three dominant solutions, smart contracts, oracle nodes, and blockchain are the study and analysis results to realize the research question and identified problem. The elected technologies show an ability to address challenges in different ways and thus maintain the security and effectiveness of trading operations. Also, the result section mentions other solutions not counting on the dominant solutions. Open issues which provide a ground for future research with practical implementations are also discussed.

The purpose of this thesis is to present the different needs that can arise before VR use,and gratifications obtained by consumption. This includes finding out what media content users consume in VR, their motivations for why they consume the selectedcontent, how the choice of VR before other medium affects situations or interaction, and they feel after a session in virtual reality. The theories proven to provide a solid basis for answering the research questions are uses and gratifications theory, and medium theory. The collected empirical data is presented and analyzed within the frameworks ofthese theories, which together with previous research on virtual reality and VRheadsets, support the theoretical framework for this thesis. To gain in depth data of consumers motivations and own experiences, five semistructured qualitative interviewswhere conducted. The interviewees where asked various questions about their social and individual differences, gratifications sought and obtained, and their perception of how VR technology affects different situations and interaction. The collected empirical data is then presented and analyzed within the frameworks of uses and gratifications approach and medium theory. Results of the empirical data showed that the mostcommon needs to be satisfied by VR use are those of exersice, entertainment, practice, social interaction, and relaxation. Those needs are gratified by applications for exersice, entertainment applications, games, simulators, and social applications. The interviewees choose VR before other medium or real life activities because VR is more engaging than working out at home and less timeconsuming than leaving the house to exersice at the gym, more engaging and immersive than pc or console gaming for simulation games, and open in the sense of being able to walk up to strangers and socialize with in the virtual world. The study also showed that not only the technology hardware charachteristics, but also the software design found within the virtual environment, affects situations and interactions in a way that is perceived different and better than software found in other medium like social applications on the phone.

Jämfört med Sverige har andra länder, exempelvis Kina, kommit längre i den digitala utvecklingen. För att få en bild av hur individer ställer sig till digitaliseringen ämnar följande undersökning att studera svenska konsumenters attityder till den digitala utvecklingen av virtuella produkter i modebranschen samt användningen av dessa på digitala plattformar. Undersökningen fokuserar främst på de digitala teknologierna virtuellt mode, virtual fitting rooms, augmented reality och Metaverse. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ undersökning som genomförts innehållande semistrukturerade intervjuer med 20 respondenter från Uppsala och Stockholm. Undersökningens analys grundar sig i sambandet mellan variablerna digitala plattformar, virtuella produkter inom modebranschen samt konsumenters attityd. Utifrån resultatet kan vi konstatera att det råder en komplex situation eftersom respondenterna hade både positiva och negativa attityder till den digital utvecklingen, vilket främst beror på okunskap.

The traditional definition of tourism has been transformed by significant advancements in communication and information technology. The concept of Metaverse, derived from the words "meta" (meaning beyond) and "verse" (meaning universe), has redefined how people experience travel. This innovative concept combines virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence to create virtually augmented spaces. However, the tourism industry should clarify and narrow down the definition of Metaverse and its intriguing concept for its successful adoption in the future. Thus, it is crucial to define Metaverse tourism and understand how users will accept it in the near future. This study aims to comprehend the technology behind Metaverse tourism, review current research on the topic, and identify the critical factors related to experiential Metaverse tourism. The paper also examines how computer self-efficacy, novelty seeking, subjective norm, job relevance, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment can influence expected user satisfaction and behavioral intention, given the context of situational motivation. The findings have significant implications for theory and management, addressing various questions related to users' perceptions, expectations, design considerations, stakeholder preparations, and performance assessment of metaverse technology in tourism applications.

Through the development of digitalization, the use of the Metaverse and the strategy of utilizing game elements for brands has increased. Therefore, this thesis purpose has been to understand, from the consumers perspective, if consumer engagement is influenced by gamification strategies used by brands in the Metaverse. The study for this thesis was quantitative, where two digital surveys was performed. When collecting the initial survey, too few respondents were obtained which gave the study too vague result to work with. Therefore, the authors of this thesis decided, for a two-week period, to reopen the questionnaire. The final survey amounted in a total of 125 respondents and was therefore the one used for this thesis. Beside the information conducted by the survey, this theses relied on the theoretical framework based on previous research on aspects such as Gamification strategies, the Metaverse, consumer experience and consumer engagement. The results from this thesis showed that there was a significant relationship between how the repondents were aware of game elements and their purpose and if they let it influence their engagement beside their awareness. We did also perform two additional Pearson Chi-square cross-tabulations concerning the areas of encouragement and spending habits, and market perception. The results in those two did however not show any significant relationships.  This thesis contributes to an understanding of how applied gamification strategies within the Metaverse is experienced by consumers and how it influences them.

In today’s progressive technology development, it is imperative to engage the customer and transform them to become brand advocates. Firms need to ensure their brand’s longevity in this competitive market, at times putting noncustomers in hindsight. This thesis aims to explore how firms can utilise Gamification to engage noncustomers and make them advocate for a brand. To explore this phenomenon, this thesis takes the concepts Gamification, Customer Engagement, Online Brand Advocacy as its starting point and puts special emphasis on the Metaverse as it is an emerging digital engagement platform. Using a quasi-experimental research design with four-manipulation Gamification aspects, we discovered four key findings; (1) the Behavioural dimension of Customer Engagement is a key driver in Online Brand Advocacy compared to the other dimensions. In addition, it is the Behavioural dimension of Customer Engagement that gets noncustomers to advocate for a brand, while the Emotional and Cognitive dimension develops during the post-experience phase, (2) out of the three Gamification aspects, the Motivational Affordance motivated noncustomers the most to engage and advocate for the hypothetical brand, (3) Gamification aspects has a direct effect on noncustomers advocating behaviour without an established consumers-brand relationship, and (4) noncustomers are extrinsically motivated to engage with a brand based on behavioural factors. The contribution of this study is twofold. First, from a theoretical standpoint, it offers a conceptual model and empirically assesses the impact of Gamification utilising various gamified aspects. Second, from a pragmatic and practitioner perspective, the findings aid marketers in developing sustainable marketing strategies, and harness the power of Customer Engagement and Advocacy with the use of Gamification. Hence, this thesis yields new insights to the emerging research on Gamification, Customer Engagement, and Online Brand Advocacy. Therewith, this study offers a novel approach, by linking these three concepts, and introducing Customer Engagement and Online Brand Advocacy as an outcome of Gamification in a metaverse context.