Internet Identity is a privacy-preserving sign-in system for ICP apps that lets people manage passkeys and OpenID-based accounts in one place. Users can create an identity from a compatible dapp or from the Internet Identity landing page, then add per-app accounts for personal, business, or testing, keeping contexts separate without sharing emails or passwords.

I ran usability tests on the existing journey—(1) creating an identity from a dapp, (2) adding an account within Internet Identity, and (3) creating a second identity—then synthesized findings into a themes-and-recommendations deck. After stakeholder review and prioritization, I redesigned the end-to-end flow with clearer copy, simpler steps, and stronger feedback to make the experience more user-friendly.

Role: Lead UI/UX Designer

Researcher

Challenges Identified

• Education & awareness: 1. Low trust and confusion about what Passkeys and Internet Identity are, how they work, and where data lives. 2. Gaps around privacy, recovery, decentralization, and Identity vs. Account concepts.

•  UX & flow improvements: 1. Ambiguity between Google and Passkey sign-in options. 2. “Use Existing Passkey” step caused drop-offs; lacked guidance. 3. Post-authentication, creating/choosing accounts wasn’t clear; weak success/feedback states and no obvious handoff to a control center. 4. Users encounter Internet Identity across third-party dapps/auth systems, so confusion often originates outside our UI.

• Naming & management: 1. Duplicate names across identities/accounts; unclear primary naming. 2. No central place to rename, edit, delete, or manage multiple identities/accounts. 3. Terminology overlapped with dapp concepts, creating mental-model collisions.

• Security & trust: 1. Unclear explanation of biometrics and on-device vs. cloud handling. 2. Needed to differentiate Internet Identity’s security model from providers like Google, while showing interoperability.

Approach

• Usability tests on the “as-is” journey focusing on:

  1. Creating an identity from a dapp,

  2. Adding an account within Internet Identity,

  3. Creating a second identity.

• Synthesis & prioritization: Thematic analysis → findings deck with problem statements and recommended fixes.

• Flow redesign: Clearer entry screens, progressive disclosures, streamlined steps, consistent confirmation and error patterns.

• Copy & education: Plain-language microcopy, inline tooltips (seed phrase, passkeys, multi-account), and empty-state guidance.

• Consistency & responsiveness: Unified patterns across desktop and mobile, with light/dark modes and accessible contrast.

• Handoff & iteration: Prototype walkthroughs with stakeholders and devs; quick loops to align on technical constraints.