For many years consumer behavior researchers have explored the role people’s possessions play in the identity construction process; looking at how possessions help people decide who they want to be and how they help people move closer to their idealized image of themselves. However, in looking at product design processes, and particularly the HCI design processes for developing interactive products and services, the insights gained from the consumer behavior research have not yet been operationalized. In general, HCI developers are quite good at looking at what people do, and designing products to enhance the qualities of these activities; however, HCI processes do not generally explore who people desire to be. This talk provides a brief overview of consumer behavior research on identity construction and details opportunities for interactive products to improve this process. In addition, it shares insights gained from select pilot design projects that attempt to address the appropriate role for interactive products to play as people construct their identities.