Kim Snooks, Research Associate, Lancaster University, Dr Daniel Richards, Lecturer in Data Prototyping and Visualisation, Lancaster University

Digital identities are emerging around the world, transforming physical documents like passports and driving licenses into digitised versions. The UK government are now actively trying to create “a clear framework of rules which show what ‘good’ digital identities look like”. Guidance exists for creating ‘good’ digital identities, but this is vague i.e., create ‘inclusive’ or ‘secure’ systems. This project explores futures of digital identity systems using design methods to provoke debate about the social implications of future systems, questioning what ‘good’ digital identity systems might entail and if they are even possible. This project uses speculative design methods, specifically provocative prototypes (or “provotypes”) to move across traditional disciplinary boundaries and provoke meaningful debate with social scientists, designers and technologists about possible futures of these technologies and their impact on society.