Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprising: obtaining, by a server from a first user device, an image via a first instance of a communication application; obtaining, by the server from the first user device, an indication of availability status; generating, by the server, an avatar image based on the image and the indication of availability status, the avatar image including at least a portion of the image and one or more characters indicative of the availability status; and transmitting, by the server to a second user device, the avatar image for display in a second instance of the communication application.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for switching conversational context in a collaborative environment is implemented on a computing device and includes: presenting a group conversation on a display screen associated with the computing device, where the presenting comprises display of at least collaborative communications and associated participant avatars, detecting selection of one of the associated participant avatars in the group conversation, switching from the group conversation to an individual conversation, the individual conversation conducted between individual conversation participants, where the individual conversation participants include a user of the computing device and one of the conversation participants according to the selected participant avatar, and replacing the group conversation on the display screen with a presentation of the individual conversation.