Layers of Identity

Identity is fundamentally human; Identity is one way we understand ourselves and everything around us. We are born into a world that we attempt to understand by assigning labels and creating social constructs to adhere too.

These labels, or attributes, can be categorised in to four main types of information. Inherent, Acquired, Obtained and Derived identity attributes.

Inherent Identity

We are born with inherent attributes such as our genetic code, blood type, fingerprints — our biometric attributes that won’t change throughout our life.

Acquired Identity

From day one we begin to acquire labels such as names, cultural labels, religious denominations and through associations with others such as our demographics or community groups. These labels may change over the course of our lifetime, but they are what shape our formative years.

Obtained Identity

As we grow we obtain identity through more material and external influences such as assets; our cars, houses, devices, the clothes we wear and the image we project. Obtained identity is more fluid and easily influenced by life events. For example: Relationships ending are often a catalyst for a new image makeover. Financial portfolios grow as we obtain more assets and the ‘investor identity’ develops.

Derived Identity

Derived identity is what others know about us through our behaviours and actions. It’s the external view of our identity or the result of our projected identity. This is how people learn who we are. It’s the value exchange in relationships. This is how we learn our lover’s literary preferences, their favourite food, their likes and dislikes.

Derived behaviour is how businesses learn their customer’s behaviours to better pre-empt customer needs and define business opportunities. For example — Amazon Echo’s predictive shopping.

In technology the derived behaviours of users enable security technology such as adaptive authentication. Adaptive authentication greatly improves customer experience by enabling the minimum authentication required in each interaction, and then increasing the level of proof or identification required, based on what the organisation can already establish about you from your previous behaviours and devices.

Embracing Human Centred Design

The future of a digital society requires new ecosystems for commerce and social connection powered by an Identity ecosystem connecting consumers via a seamless authenticated digital experience. The identity ecosystem must be built around the human, rather than around a particular organisation, device or around online or offline experience.

Identity is the experience, Information is the value.