Artist Danielle Baskin's Face ID Masks Go Viral Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

San Francisco artist and designer Danielle Baskin has gone viral with her Face ID Masks, a speculative design project that prints a user's face onto N95 respirators. The masks, sold through her fictional company Resting Risk Face, aim to allow facial recognition software to unlock phones even when the wearer's nose and mouth are covered. Baskin's tweet from February 15 sparked global discussion on contagion and privacy. Other designers have also proposed pandemic-related concepts: Chinese architect Sun Dayong of Studio Penda created the 'Be a Bat Man' shield, a PVC cover that self-sterilizes with UV light; Max Siedentopf released a photo series of absurd alternatives to surgical masks; and Japanese designer Hiroto Ikeuchi has long built cyberpunk-style masks and respirators from recycled materials. Baskin stated she will not produce the masks during the global shortage and has no launch date.