This project was part of a larger exploration into the world of business cards undertaken at IDEO in 2000. The Onion card was developed to acknowledge the complexity of human interactions and how the contemporary generic card could be updated to cater for more specific needs.
• personal information, based on home page, is split into tiered information levels.
• card acts like a bunch of keys, allowing access to levels only approved by the sites owner.
• card retains standard format. The ritualistic act of exchanging card is extended by tearing off 'keys' disallowing access to those levels.
• card is customisable for personal or business relationships (see scenarios)
Imagine a first meeting between two people. Respect for the other person could be shown by giving them access to your whole site. Interesting imbalances would be created with the exchange of unbalanced cards.
Even the name on the card could be removed or replaced by a pseudonym, for handing out to people you never want to meet again.
The card would be used by swiping the bar through a reader, once to correct site has been downloaded each remaining key allows navigation to that page.