Cali-ID - Sam Cazer

01 · Overview

Digital Identification

As our lives increasingly move into the digital realm, physical wallets, credit cards, driver's licenses, even state IDs, feel a little outdated. What if you could carry your California ID in your pocket, fully secure, and instantly accessible? That's where Cali-ID comes in.

02 · The Challenge

What needed to change?

While researching for this project I found three major issues in the designs for existing state IDs.

Key Problems

Lack of visual identity: Most state IDs fail to reflect California's unique cultural identity. They're generic, bland, and don't feel Californian.
Poor information hierarchy: Important details like name, date of birth, and expiration get lost. The layout doesn't guide your eye.
Security concerns: Sensitive data is too easily exposed with no strong visual approach to concealing or revealing information securely.

03 · Research

Understanding the space

Existing State IDs

I referenced and researched numerous different existing physical and digital IDs, including California's physical ID, New York's physical ID, and the CA Digital DMV Wallet.

California's current physical ID. Visually busy, unclear type hierarchy, and sensitive information too easily accessible.

The CA Digital DMV Wallet. The onboarding is decent but it does nothing to visualize California's identity or branding.

The Brand and Identity of California

I explored California's visual culture, landscape, architecture, and lifestyle to inform the design direction.

04 · Goals

What I set out to do

After conducting research, I defined three core goals for the project:

Project Goals

Security: Sensitive info should only be shown when needed
Scannable and clear: Use hierarchy, typography, and layout to communicate information effectively
California's personality: Utilize visual elements to create a design that has warmth and personality

05 · Design Process

Building the design

Ideation and Moodboards

Having gathered more information about California's cultural identity, I created two moodboards for two different stylistic directions.

Style 1 · Minimal and Geometric Minimal and geometric moodboard

Inspired by the modern geometric architecture used by many residents in California.

Style 2 · Organic and Playful Organic and playful moodboard

Inspired by the colorful, playful nature of California and its residents.

Wireframes

I sketched out initial concepts to explore layout options and information architecture.

Iteration 1

I developed both visual directions into high-fidelity mockups to compare their effectiveness.

Style 1 · Minimal Iteration 1 Style 1

Style 2 · Playful Iteration 1 Style 2

Iteration 2

For this iteration I chose to continue with only Style 2. Style 1 felt more intense and closer to propaganda, while Style 2 felt free, playful, fun, and warm, which feels much more aligned with California's identity.

Second iteration focusing on the organic, playful direction.

06 · Final Design

The finished product

The final design embraces California's vibrant personality through organic shapes, warm colors, and clear information hierarchy. The interface prioritizes security by revealing sensitive information only when needed, while maintaining an approachable and friendly aesthetic.

Final screens across key flows.

07 · Reflection

What I took away

This project taught me a lot about balancing functionality with personality. State IDs have a lot of required information and real security considerations, so the challenge was making all of that feel approachable and distinctly Californian rather than just clinical.

Exploring two completely different directions early on was really valuable. It forced me to make a clear choice and commit to it with intention rather than just picking whatever felt comfortable first. The iterative process made the final design a lot stronger.

The big takeaways: simplicity, clear hierarchy, and consistent visual identity aren't just aesthetic choices. They're what makes something actually usable.

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