OPENVERSE “Co-creating in Virtual Worlds” workshop at EuroXR Conference 2025

OPENVERSE project partners  Department of Design at Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) and Martel Innovate are pleased to host a workshop entitled “Co-creating in Virtual Worlds” on 3rd September 2025, from 14:30 to 18:00, as part of the EuroXR Conference programme. The conference, organized by ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences), will take place in Winterthur, Switzerland.

As Virtual Worlds continue to reshape how industries collaborate, innovate, and create, they present new opportunities across sectors such as entertainment, education, healthcare, and tourism. In this context, co-creation emerges as a key strategy for ensuring that innovation is not only technologically advanced but also user-relevant, inclusive, and impactful.

This workshop will explore how co-creation can drive innovation within Virtual Worlds by engaging stakeholders early and meaningfully in the design process.

Objectives

• Introduce participants to 8 possible co-creation journeys applied to use cases in as many Virtual Worlds
• Present selected tools from the OPENVERSE Co-Creation Toolkit — at least one tool per phase of the Double Diamond design process (Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver)
• Demonstrate tool use through 8 uses cases on different industries and with varied purposes

Format and Approach

Each tool will be introduced with contextual framing to highlight its application and benefit in immersive environments.
Participants will engage in interactive feedback activities to assess the tools’ feasibility, clarity, and adaptability for use in Virtual Worlds.

Goal

To collect expert insights on the practical use of co-creation tools in immersive settings, helping shape future iterations of the OPENVERSE toolkit and methodology.

Agenda

14:30-15:00 | Opening session
Welcome and introduction:
– Co-creation in Virtual Worlds. Intro to immersive collaboration and its potential for participatory design
– The OPENVERSE Methodology and Tools. Overview of the co-creation methodology and the 48-tool OPENVERSE Toolkit

15:00-17:30 | Interactive session (includes a 30m coffee break from 16:00 to 16:30)
Interactive Journeys in 8 Virtual Worlds. Hands-on roleplay across co-creation scenarios tailored to each VW with live assessment and feedback collection

17:30-18:00 | Closing Session
Q&A: Session engaging the audience in discussion and wrap-conclusion

Registration

To register, please use the QR code here below, or this link. Please note that in order to access this workshop, a registration to the Conference is also required.