We Are Legacy launches digital IDs for handmade products

We Are Legacy has launched a digital identity system that puts maker, materials and production details inside handmade products via NFC taps. The Mallorca debut includes a pilot with 10 studios across Asia, Africa and Latin America, aiming to boost transparency, provenance and recognition in the craft economy.

Why it matters: - We Are Legacy is trying to make the labor, knowledge and cultural value behind handmade goods visible after products leave the studio. - The platform targets a broader shift in craft and supply chains, where buyers want more transparency and makers want clearer recognition and value. - The model could help artisans strengthen trust, provenance and market access without turning craft into standard compliance paperwork.

What happened: - We Are Legacy launched a digital identity system for handmade products at XTANT in Mallorca, a European gathering focused on textile heritage, craftsmanship and contemporary design. - The platform embeds a Digital Product Identity into each handmade object. - A simple tap using NFC technology reveals a structured digital record tied to the product. - The launch was led by founders Lesley Pennington, Robert Meeder and Ma Steinsvik. - The system is designed to connect a product to its maker, materials, production journey, value distribution and impact.

The details: - The digital record can show information about materials, maker, process, production context, value distribution and impact. - We Are Legacy says the system is meant to embed identity directly into the object, rather than add a separate layer of marketing or storytelling. - Lesley Pennington said the platform is intended to redefine how value is understood by putting artisans at the center. - The launch includes an international pilot with 10 studios from India, South Africa, Laos, Guatemala, Armenia and Sri Lanka. - The participating studios are Morii, Paiwand Studios, Aikyamatya Luxury, RaasLeela, Jaipur Rugs, Frances VH Mohair, Lao Textiles by Carol Cassidy, Que Onda Vos, The Rug Code and Sonali Dharmawardena. - Visitors at XTANT could interact with the products and their digital identities. - The experience let visitors see the people, materials and production journeys behind each piece.

Between the lines: - The platform arrives as traceability and transparency become more important across global supply chains. - We Are Legacy can align with emerging frameworks such as the Digital Product Passport, but compliance is not the main goal. - The deeper aim is to keep authorship, human labor, cultural knowledge and production context visible in increasingly digital and automated economies. - The launch also reflects a larger challenge in handmade markets: much of the value created by craft disappears once a product enters the marketplace. - UNESCO estimates that cultural and creative industries account for about 3% of global GDP and employ more than 30 million people worldwide. - Craft production remains a major source of income across parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America, especially for women and home-based producers.

What’s next: - We Are Legacy is expanding its network of participating studios. - The company is refining onboarding, data structure and verification methods. - Future work will focus on scalability, data integrity and support for additional craft sectors and geographies.

The bottom line: - We Are Legacy is pushing handmade goods toward visible authorship, where maker identity and product value travel together instead of disappearing at the point of sale.