Sebastian Hardenbol
Who are you digitally?
An Exploration of Digital personas and identities.
Who are you digitally? Was an illustrated publication that explored how communication design can be used to explore the concept of having a digital identity separate from one’s offline self. It incorporated illustrations, interviews and research to reflect the wide range of experiences internet users have with the concept of a digital identity. The methodology involved interviews with individuals who have digital identities, personal reflection and research to provide the foundation for the content of the publication.
Risograph was chosen as the printing method to reflect the vibrant colours often seen on digital screens and to take a digital topic and digital imagery and give it a more analogue and hand crafted feeling to reflect the way people craft their digital identities. An illustrative approach was taken as I wanted to reflect the way many internet users, especially in the communities I interviewed people from, use illustrations to express themselves and craft their identities.
The project aimed to open a conversation with readers on understanding what digital identities can look like and the range of experiences for people who choose to have them. It also aimed to take a positive perspective on the topic of identity in digital spaces as a contrast to the negative experiences we often see in the media.
