Abstract
Coworking spaces (CSPs) are shared workspaces for entrepreneurs, freelancers, micro-businesses and startups that can counteract isolation and encourage interdisciplinary knowledge exchange. However, there are also barriers that prevent users from connecting with other coworkers, as it is often unclear when and if someone is willing to engage in creative exchange or offer help. The Covid-19 pandemic further complicated the uncertainty of connecting with each other, and many CSPs were forced to close temporarily. Information and communication technologies can be used in order to reduce barriers to outreach and promote interdisciplinary collaboration. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are technologies that are characterized by a particularly high degree of immersion and social presence. Therefore, in this paper we show how VR and augmented reality AR technologies can be specifically used to foster interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and collaboration both in CSPs and in a location-independent manner. To this end, we present positive effects that can be achieved by using one of these two technologies in the context of CSPs and derive concrete design recommendations for application developers, companies as well as operators of CSPs. These design recommendations are based on both the latest findings from academic literature and interviews with experts from research and practice with domain knowledge in CSPs, VR, and AR. Our application scenarios can serve as a basis for developers, companies and operators of CSPs to benefit from the use of both technologies.