When designing systems that shape how people access essential services, it becomes critical to ensure that these systems work for the full diversity of the population. Digital ID and DPI systems have the potential to reduce many of the barriers that historically limited access to public services – lack of documentation, geographic isolation, language barriers, disability, or limited technological literacy1.
However, if these realities are not considered early during system design, these same barriers can reappear in digital form, preventing users from participating in, or benefiting from, these systems.
Acknowledging this, MOSIP has actively promoted inclusion as a core tenet of its software development2. When inclusion considerations are built into these systems from the outset, in both architecture and governance, digital identity systems are better equipped to serve varied user contexts at scale.
How Digital Systems like MOSIP Can Better Support Diverse Populations
Key inclusion-focused features include:
- Introducer-based enrolment to support individuals without formal documentation
- Biometric exception handling to accommodate users unable to provide standard biometric data
- Portable registration systems to reach remote and underserved populations
- Multi-language interfaces to improve accessibility across linguistic groups.
- Multiple authentication channels to offer flexible and user-friendly verification options
Over the years, MOSIP has collaborated with researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) to examine inclusivity within the platform’s software design. Our first collaboration applied the GenderMag (Gender-Inclusiveness Magnifier) Methodology – a usability inspection approach developed at OSU, to identify gender-related inclusivity issues in software3.
→ Read more about our work with GenderMag
During the course of their work, OSU researchers observed a broader pattern: inclusion challenges in technology extend beyond gender. Socioeconomic factors – income, education, access to devices, and quality of connectivity – also play a significant role in shaping how people engage with digital systems.
When software fails to account for the differences in access, connectivity, and digital familiarity, users from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may struggle with, or abandon, digital tools entirely.
In response, OSU researchers expanded their approach to better account for socioeconomic diversity. Building on the foundations of GenderMag, the team began developing the Socioeconomic Inclusiveness Magnifier (SESMag).
SESMag: A Socioeconomic Inclusivity Evaluation Method
SESMag is an evaluation method designed to help teams identify barriers in software that may disadvantage users from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Methodology
SESMag enables teams to assess software features through the lens of research-based personas, each representing distinct socioeconomic realities. By simulating how these users interact with a system, developers can identify hidden barriers and make more inclusive design decisions early in the development process.
What it Identifies
The method offers a systematic way for developers to detect what are referred to as “SES-inclusivity bugs” – design decisions that may unintentionally disadvantage individuals belonging to different backgrounds.
Key Dimensions
The method focuses on six facets of socioeconomic differences4, which are as follows:
Why it Matters
Studies applying SESMag have found inclusivity issues in a majority of evaluated features, demonstrating how the method can help redesign systems to better serve diverse contexts5.
By exploring SESMag alongside GenderMag, the MOSIP ecosystem aims to strengthen its ability to design digital identity systems that work effectively across varied economic, educational, and technological contexts.
Strengthening Inclusivity Across MOSIP
As MOSIP continues to grow as a global DPG, the project remains committed to strengthening inclusivity within its software design. The objective is not to create separate versions of the platform for different gender or socioeconomic groups, but to identify and remove potential barriers early – so that a single system can function effectively across diverse user contexts.
Building on the progress made with GenderMag, MOSIP is now exploring how SESMag can be incorporated into the platform’s development practices. This includes creating spaces for teams to engage with the SESMag method, and training team members to recognise how these factors shape how different users interact with digital systems.
At the same time, MOSIP and the OSU team are also researching and developing the fairUX tool – an AI-based solution designed to evaluate user interface elements and highlight potential inclusivity barriers.
→ Read about our latest SESMag workshop
→ Watch our Inclusion in Action Webinar
Through these efforts, the project hopes to contribute not only to more inclusive digital identity systems, but also to a growing body of knowledge that can support inclusive design practices across the wider digital public infrastructure ecosystem.
References:
https://gsconlinepress.com/journals/gscarr/sites/default/files/GSCARR-2025-0130.pdf
https://www.mosip.io/mosip16.9/the-imperative-of-gender-inclusive-design-in-digital-id-systems
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2108.13477 – Toward an Actionable Socioeconomic-Aware HCI
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2304.04873 – SocioEconomicMag Meets a Platform for SES-Diverse College Students: A Case Study
