Hello
I'm a consultant digital product person who used to be a web developer who used to be a science journalist.
I'm interested in most things, but the things I'm most interested in are identity, privacy and trust on the web.
If you'd like to work with me, let me know.
What do I do?
- I work with organisations to understand and find better ways to think about digital identity.
- I help them to have simple, consistent and trusted relationships with their users.
- I speak fluent human. Acronyms can get a bit OTT, tbh.
Product Thinking
I'm an idealistic pragmatist who’s good at joining the dots between the big picture and the details that matter.
Digital Strategy
Together, we can work out a direction based on clear thinking and principles... spoken in a language people understand.
Identity UX
Things can get pretty complicated sometimes. We can probably make those things better for everyone.
Privacy and trust by design
I have led thinking on trusted digital identity at some big organisations.
Presenting and explaining
I can digest complex ideas and present them to others so that everyone’s on the same page.
Collaborative working
I can help you and your teams to work together with a shared understanding.
What do I think?
Identity is the exchange of information about people in the real world with systems in the digital one. Sometimes it's important, sometimes it isn't... but it's always important to be able to tell the difference between those times.
Privacy is about being in control of the information you share with others. In the world of identity, being in control is about as important as you can get, because lack of control means lack of trust.
Trust is built through evidence. When a system is open, behaves consistently, and stands up to testing, it earns trust - not by claiming it, but by proving it.
Recently...
STM Solutions
I'm Product Manager for Identity & Access at STM, looking after things like the Article Sharing Framework, and working on academic web working groups focussed on Researcher Identity.
Unthinkable
As well as working independently, I'm an associate at Unthinkable, a multidisciplinary design agency. I contribute as a specialist in identity strategy, working alongside many other great people.
Royal Society of Chemistry
I helped to define identity strategy as part of a wider programme of digital transformation. Acted as interim Service Owner and Tech Lead for Identity, reviewing and advising directly on project work.
Previously...
As Product Director for Identity at Elsevier, I led a multi-year programme that brought together dozens of globally significant products, making access easier for millions of scientists, clinicians and students all over the world.
I contributed to the SeamlessAccess project, spoke at conferences and on panels, and helped transform the Elsevier privacy strategy.
As a Product Manager, Service Owner and Principal Web Developer at the BBC, I proposed and helped to create the BBC's sign in system, and was a founder member of the team that wrote the BBC accessibility standards.
I spent many years living, working and studying in Edinburgh. I worked for the University of Edinburgh website, taught biology, made websites for research groups and university departments, and worked as a freelance science journalist, writing for New Scientist, BBC Wildlife, and The Discovery Channel.
People have said...
Richard's positivity and wit make him a rare asset to any organisation, team or network.
He has the uncanny ability to frame important problems in a way that is immediately accessible and compelling.
He rolls up his sleeves and engages with the problem at every layer, whether that's business, strategy, architecture, code and testing, tenders, UX or analytics.
We work in an industry that is very solutions-focused, but Richard is one of those rare individuals who makes you stop and think about any problem for a little longer.
He’s comfortable dealing with complex and abstract topics but able to crystallise and explain these to anyone.
He always puts the user first and takes a principled stand to protecting privacy.
Contact me
- Please feel free to message me via LinkedIn or Bluesky
- I hear email is also a popular way of communicating: richard@northover.info
