Digital identity is becoming one of the quiet infrastructures that modern life relies on. It plays a decisive role in how confident people feel online, how easily they access and move between services and whether those services recognise and support them. As organisations work to balance inclusion, simplicity and security, identity’s influence continues to grow, often without drawing attention to itself. When it is designed well it gives people a sense of safety and helps them complete their tasks without interruption. When it is not, the challenges surface quickly and the impact is felt across every part of the experience.
Events like Future Identity Festival help bring that hidden influence into focus. The conversations amongst the delegates this year centred less on aspiration and distant possibilities and more on the challenges and practical approaches that shape identity today. It reflected a shared understanding that digital identity and access management is evolving quickly and that the choices made now will define how people experience services for years to come.
Learning from peers across industries
Jim Small, Head of Identity, took part in the panel Secure access, seamless CX, happy customers at Future Identity Festival. The session brought together identity experts from Vodafone, Roche Pharmaceuticals and Relock, alongside Hippo, and focused on the real choices teams are making around access, experience and security. Jim shared insight from recent projects, particularly around passwordless journeys, adaptive trust and how consent is handled in practice. The discussion underlined how often these themes appear across sectors where many of the core identity questions are shared, even if the services look very different. That sense of common ground helped frame the rest of the day’s conversations and set up a thoughtful look at where digital identity is heading next.
The momentum behind passwordless authentication and the realities that still shape it
Jim’s session moved into the ongoing discussion around passwordless authentication and what a realistic passwordless future might look like. Passkeys continue to gather momentum and are already shaping several of the services we help design in sectors like health and financial services. They offer strong assurance with fewer barriers and point towards a more secure and intuitive way for people to sign in.
Even so, a fully passwordless future remains some distance away. Passwords still support recovery journeys and inclusion needs and will continue to be important for many people. Jim noted that the near term is likely to be a hybrid state, where passwordless authentication plays a central role but does not completely replace existing patterns. That balance matters. It is a reminder that identity has to move with real user needs and contexts rather than with technology alone.
If you would like to know more about passkeys, you can read more about it in Pelin Demir’s blog, Passkeys explained for non-tech audiences.
Applying Zero Trust principles to customer identity journeys
The panel explored how zero trust concepts, originally developed for enterprise security, are beginning to influence the approach to security in Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM). As a framework of tools that govern how people sign up, sign in and access services, CIAM tools have often been used to prioritise convenience, yet the principles of security-first zero trust offer clear parallels. Modern CIAM increasingly relies on continuous checks, adaptive trust and contextual signals that allow a service to assess whether a returning user remains the correct user. This moves identity from a single moment of verification to a steady, responsive process. Jim reflected on how this shift mirrors what we see in our own work. Identity is becoming part of a broader relationship between a service and its users, and that relationship needs to feel stable and intuitive. It is less about barriers and control and more about sustained confidence.
Making data use transparent and consent meaningful
The conversation then turned to data transparency and the growing responsibility of CIAM to underpin the delivery of secure, usable digital services. Identity provision is increasingly tied to strong data governance and teams must think carefully about what information is needed and why. Jim emphasised the importance of clear consent that is specific and easy to change. Regulations create the structure, but trust is built through clarity and respect. When identity journeys adapt to the context of the moment, the use of data feels more relevant and more aligned with user expectations. This is where the veil lifts slightly. People do not need every detail, but they do need enough understanding to feel comfortable.
Designing identity that supports the experience rather than disrupting it
The session closed with a reflection on identity as a core part of the delivery of wider user experience. Although identity often works best when it stays in the background, that does not remove the need for clarity. There will always be tasks that require a higher level of assurance, and friction is inevitable in those moments. Jim spoke about the importance of placing that friction with purpose. A gentle, welcoming introduction to a service helps people begin with confidence, while stronger checks can emerge later when the task warrants them. When the sequence feels natural and the steps are explained in simple terms, identity supports the journey rather than standing in its way.
The veil lifting on identity’s long term role
Across Future Identity Festival there was a shared sense that digital identity is stepping into a more mature phase. Its influence reaches across sectors and often operates quietly, yet it plays an increasingly central role in shaping trust, access and confidence online. Many of the conversations echoed themes we see across our own delivery. Identity is becoming a foundational layer that must work for everyone, regardless of how visible it is. As the veil lifts, even slightly, it reminds us that the most durable progress comes from collaboration, honest reflection and a willingness to adapt as user needs evolve.
Future Identity offered a moment to pause and consider how far digital identity has come and how much responsibility it now carries. It also reinforced something simple and important. Identity should help people move forward, not hold them back. Designing with that in mind will continue to shape the work ahead.
