Generative Identity Study

Illustration of Black man with a large afro, dark sunglasses and full beard.

I designed a modular visual language composed of interchangeable character attributes—such as hair, headwear, facial features, and accessories—each treated as a variable within a defined set of rules.

By systematically combining these elements, I created dozens of unique character expressions.

Rather than designing individual characters, my focus was on constructing the system itself: determining which elements could coexist, how variation was distributed, and where visual tension or coherence would appear. I then manually assembled all possible combinations to understand what patterns emerged and which identities felt authentic versus forced.

This project raised questions I want to explore further:

How do constraint-based design systems encode assumptions about identity?
What happens when identity is reduced to interchangeable variables—even in well-meaning contexts like avatar creation?
How might we design systems that support meaningful self-expression rather than just visual variation?

While this exploration began in a speculative (NFT) context, these questions extend to game character creators, virtual world avatars, and any interface where users construct digital identity through modular selection. I'm particularly interested in understanding how to design for authentic representation when working within systematic constraints.

Illustration of Black man--no beard, hoop earrings

Illustration of Black man--full beard, ski goggles

Illustration of Black man--full beard, cornrows

Illustration of Black man--full beard, bald head

Illustration of Black man--full beard, orange skully

Illustration of Black man--full beard, Dragonball Z reader

Illustration of Black man--full beard, red bandana.

Illustration of Black man--full beard, wayfare glasses

Illustration of Black man--goatie, short haircut

Illustration of Black man with glasses, orange hoodie and full beard.

Illustration of Black man with a black skully, dark sunglasses and full beard.

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