The Passport of the 21st Century

As part of a senior graphic design research thesis, I investigated fifteen Lebanese graphic designers active on Twitter. Analysis was based on their profiles’ general appearance and their Twitter activity over a span of one week. Seven of the fifteen selected designers were young Lebanese women, living in Lebanon or abroad. My analysis aimed at uncovering whether designers attempt to visually represent themselves differently from other professionals and, if so, how they go about doing it. The designers’ approach to the digital world through a visual profile can double as a form of identification; however, they have the freedom to customize it to their liking. In contrast with official forms of identification that must follow specific rules, digital platforms allow a designer to create the persona of their choice using only images and text. The launch of such digital sites has led to another version of the self, existing separate from the tangible entity and giving rise to a virtual version of a person’s identity. The identity created, shared, and personified on these platforms is one that should be carefully crafted and controlled by the individual since such sites have become a source for information, interaction, and exchange. This information can, in turn, be used from a professional standpoint, identifying possible candidates for job vacancies; their profiles create a window to the side of them they want to put on display.