Digital State ID

Spring 2023 | UI/UX Concept | Solo

Project Goal 

What am I trying to create?

I want to create a digital ID that reflects our human need to be unique while also staying up to date with the fast-growing technological advancements. I want the user to feel proud of their ID while simultaneously holding all their precious and needed information close together without having to worry about security and privacy problems.

Solution

How am I going to solve it?

Using a completely up-to-date appearance instead of the boring and too government-looking ID will solve the problem of the appearance of the IDs. To solve the problem of privacy and security, there will be a Face ID scan to verify identity and there will be two viewing options to display relevant information about the situation to protect personal information.

Problems/Opportunities

What kinds of problems or opportunities do I want to address?

With the transition to a constantly advancing technological age, comes the opportunity to replace our physical forms of identification with digital ones. This appears to be a great idea until the questions of privacy, security, and authenticity comes into play. I see with digital IDs is the chance to link I with bank accounts, payrolls, insurance, school records, other IDs, and groups/club memberships. This amount of very private and sensitive personal information being inputted online raises the issue for online privacy standards. How would we ensure that our information is secure and authentic?

Every state has the opportunity to implement their own unique and personalized digital ID. With the idea for every state to have their own ID, this raises the question if each state will have the same equipment to handle out of state digital IDs and it becomes a huge security risk also becomes a risk on the individuals safety if they travel often and frequently between multiple states.

We can all agree that no one likes their ID picture. It has become commonplace to think of our IDs as ugly, boring, simple, too hard to read, and overall not a representation of ourselves even though it is our own identification card. With the opportunity to implement the ID to a digital wallet or application comes the opportunity for modification and customization in appearance while still maintaining the professional security connection to the government.

Competitive Analysis

State Sponsored ID Apps

Mobile ID

Mobile ID is an app used as a digital ID and it was created by a company called IDEMIA. It claims to be a government-issued digital identity aligned with the DMV. One added feature is the use of a “live selfie” when uploading one's ID which creates a live, moving image of the user. Like most apps, it uses Face ID or a 6-digit PIN to access the ID. This app however also utilizes a feature to only display necessary information in certain information without showing more private information. such as only displaying the user's age at a bar without displaying their address. One very odd feature is that the app is split into 4 different apps, all by the same mother company, for 4 different states. So each state has its own app and is partnered with the state's respective sports team.

myColorado

Unlike LAWallet which is the only option for residents of Louisiana as Apple Wallet does not yet support the state, Colorado state is accepted by Apple Wallet but also by Colorado state sown app: myColorado. The app does the same function as other digital ID apps but with its own unique features such as Disability Identifier Symbol and Affinity Icons which can be customized and personalized. The DIS has to be registered and approved by the state and can also be renewed online right in the app. The Affinity Icons however are free and can be removed as it is simply a way to display a person's hobbies and affinities. This points to an interesting fact: the affinity icon is only available on the digital ID but not on the physical ID card. In the fine print, it states that when stopped by an officer, you must present the physical ID card if the officer is not yet equipped to accept the ID digitally. Also in the fine print is the information that the officer(s) cannot take away your phone if they suspect the digital ID is not genuine.

LA Wallet

This is an alternative digital ID separate from Apple’s as it is a state-regulated and operated app. This app however is for driving and age verification. This means that it is not accepted by TSA. This puts this form of digital identification behind the competition since, as of now, Apple Wallet only supports 3 states with Louisiana NOT being one of them. The app holds all the features Apple Wallet does but with a few changes. It holds the option to have your license renewed right in the app and have the credentials sent through the mail. It also has a feature to “phone home” to the DMV to make sure your license is valid. This also raises some security concerns as to whether this is impeding on a person's privacy and rights. Another feature that raises this same concern is the feature to provide businesses with relevant info on age for the purchase of age-restricted goods and materials.

Apple Wallet

The Apple Wallet is another alternative platform for digital IDs. Since it already allows for boarding passes, vaccination cards, and credit and debit cards to be input for virtual and reality use, the next step was to add the user ID card. This allows for all important and daily used cards and information to be kept all in one place, removing the hassle of having one's private and personal information spread out and vulnerable. Adding an eligible driver's license or state ID allows the user to navigate through airport security checkpoints (TSA) faster and more efficiently. Due to the connectivity of Apple’s device network/community, the use of the digital ID would be present on the Apple Watch. Apple states that it is already secure and safe from tampering and theft since it would be in the Apple Wallet to which the technology for security would be the same. This means that the Touch ID or facial recognition would be used to allow access. Another feature Apple presents for digital ID in the Apple Wallet is the function to only present relevant information and data according to the situation. This indicates that when being ID'd at a bar per se, only the age would be shown and not the user's address and such. Apple also allows for the addition of the ID digitally to be a quick and easy process in as little as 4 steps. But when looking further, there appear to be additional steps required concerning confirmation that you are you.

Design Trends

Bauhaus Style

Bauhaus style is known for its strong geometric shapes of circles, semicircles, triangles, and rectangles. It really gets creative with typography, hierarchy, spacing, and size. This style is a combination of art and industry which plays well with my indented styles. One of my intended styles is to remove unnecessary elements which is a foundation for the Bauhaus style so I wish to implement that into my own project.

De Stijl

De Stijl was a circle of Dutch abstract artists who promoted a style of art based on a strict geometry of horizontals and verticals. It is also known as neoplasticism, it is a famous modern art form that values abstraction and simplicity. Clean lines, right angles, and primary colors characterized this aesthetic and art movement expressed via architecture and paintings

Inspo Boards

While looking for inspiration to pull from, I wanted to explore outside of my comfort zone and experiment with two opposing styles. One style I wanted to embody was David Carson's unique approach with a grunge twist. I wanted to push the boundaries of "normal" design and try something more unconventional. I wanted this board to experiment with type, style, and layout yet still be appealing to the eye, playing with bold shapes and even bolder colors. This one takes inspiration from the early rock bands in Britain, goes against the norm, and has its unique style with its "in-your-face" messages that draw your attention with how out there it is. This style reminds me of how impactful the people of New Jersey are. 

With my second inspiration board, I wanted to take on the opposite approach to my first board and explore the elegant and classical style of many high-end fashion brands. I saw it as a mixture of delicate yet powerful with a minimal aesthetic of black and white and serif fonts whereas my first board had bold sans serif fonts. I always struggled with embodying this style in my work since it's very hard to nail and I often end up doing a more bold and experimental style so I wanted to go beyond my comfort level and attempt this style. Even if I might fail but even if I did, I still would have learned more about this elegant style of design.         

Visual Direction 1

Visual Direction 2

Sketches

For my wireframes, I focused more on my second inspiration board but ended up with a mixture of the two boards. I wanted to incorporate the blocked sections with the portrait and QR code nice and bold so that it is the first thing that is seen. Then the secondary info would be in their section but still keep with the bold style with an elegant font. The sketches were an attempt to visualize a combination of the two inspo boards as it would be a visually appealing and eye catching combination. 

Wireframes

I made my wireframes to replicate my sketches to visualize the different sections more and how the text would work while overlaping the images. I experimented with different formats, either the name of the individual be the first thing that is seen or have the portrait be first. I wanted to have that bold and blocky style but keep it to a minimum to stay inalign with the elegant style. 

This is my first round of visual compositions of my digital driver's license. I started to realize something about myself during this part of the process: I make a lot of iterations. However, it helped me visualize what direction to continue and what I should leave alone. I continued to experiment with formatting the information and hierarchy of images and text but I tried to keep it more on the simple, minimal, elegant style to not overload the viewer and keep the information concise. The last three ideations are where I started to focus more on the block and bold type.      

My second round of visual compositions was definitely where I changed course to a more bold style. I had the idea of generally what I wanted and so it was a trial and error of font choice, position, and coloring. Should the date of birth be repeated solely for the sake of aesthetics? Should some text be inside a yellow container? Does a thin-weight font work best or a bold weight? Should the image fill the height or width of the screen or be smaller so it can be seen? These are some of the questions I asked so I decided to create versions answering these questions.  

After feedback from my professor and classmates, I wanted my 3rd round of visual competitions to incorporate more "essence" of New Jersey. I realized that my previous rounds of compositions didn't lead viewers to associate them with New Jersey. So, I decided to take inspiration from the flag of Newark, NJ. Newark is the most populated city in NJ and is more well-known than the capital, Trenton. I wanted to experiment with the colors but keep with the loud and bold style cause it makes a good representation of NJ residents: loud, proud, and fun. NJ residents are not afraid to be who they are and stand apart from the crowd.

So I started with a simple style guide to get the colors, fonts, and a few of the graphics to give me a guide for my compositions. For the age view screens, I tried a vertical portrait image with the names and dates of births going over the image either alone or in a container. However, I realized that with the dates, there wasn't any indication that that was the date of birth of the individual and the constant horizontal and vertical text was too confusing to properly read. Then I experimented with the full view of where all of the individual's information would be stored. This part was the most complicated and frustrating. I know that it needed to be easily skimmable and placed in a recognizable hierarchy that makes the most sense. The driver's license number first, followed by the dates, then the individual's identifying information, ending with the address. Most, if not all driver's licenses include the person's signature so I debated putting it in its known bolded section or having it be in the background in a shade of grey so that it is still visible but not distracting.

Then I played around with how my app's homescreen would be and I knew right off the bat how I wanted to generally look like. I pictured a representation of a filing cabinet where the tabs are enlarged when pressed on once. A second press would open that tab and take you to the corresponding page.   

Age View

Full View

Home Screen

Here are my final compositions of the major screens and I am quite proud and happy with my results. I finally landed on a version that matches what I was looking for when I was on my third composition round. The homescreen has only the main card types that make's it easier to navigate and see, especially for those who have toruble seeing small text on a screen and/or pressing buttons on screens. The age view shows the photo of the indivudal plain and clear to prevent confusion on who the owner is and the age is also plainly visible. The option to pull up the license's barcode is also easy to toggle and the grapic is easily recognizable. The barcode also doesn't take away from the portrait, name, and date of birth. The full view has all the necessary information that is shown on a government issued physical license. The heirarchy makes the infomation easily skimmable and with a bold style font, the information is easy to read. It's listed in a formation starting with the most important, the ID number, followed by the dates of birth, issuing, and expiration, and ends with the identifying information. The individual's signature is also present but in the background in light shade of grey to still be readable but not overpowering. To keep with the branding of New Jersey, I stayed with the colors of the Newark flag and added the state to the background.  

Home, Full View, Age View with Barcode

Benefits

What benefits does a product like this have?

A digital state ID offers numerous benefits, primarily enhancing identity and security. It serves as a reliable confirmation of one's identity while enabling the selective display of essential information. Moreover, it incorporates a personalized touch, reflecting both personal and state aesthetics through its visual design. Unlike conventional government-issued IDs, it boasts a powerful and bold expression, infusing personality into the identification process. Additionally, its versatility shines through its consolidation feature, allowing the storage of multiple IDs and cards in a single, easily accessible location. This convenience extends further with its dedicated app, ensuring compatibility across various phone brands and maximizing accessibility for users. 

Takeaways

What did I take away from this project?

Reflecting on this project, I've made some very valuable insights about myself as a whole and as a designer. First, I go through a vast amount of iterations, crafting copies upon copies of different formats and layouts. But, a significant lesson learned was the importance of retaining each frame, recognizing that design is fundamentally problem-solving and I'm glad I saved my different versions because it allows me to see the progression of progress and see where I started and where I finished. It was a continual challenge to balance exploration with practicality, as I had to continuously remind myself to resist the allure of exploring infinite solutions. Despite the temptation, I ultimately reached my final composition after receiving extensive feedback from my peers and professor; it taught me that collaboration played a pivotal role, as I heavily relied on feedback and critique, often navigating iterations together. Moreover, this project highlighted the necessity for New Jersey to establish a distinctive identity, separate from other states. A key takeaway was the significance of creating something recognizable and aesthetically pleasing, drawing inspiration from iconic symbols like Maryland's and Colorado's flags.

Contact

Email: adeliamartinez20@gmail.com

Instagram: a.deli.martinez

LinkedIn: /martinez-adelia/

© 2024 Adelia Martinez
Jack of all Trades Designer

Website built with tears, spite, and hope