Layer OneThe hardware (Tags)
The physical entry point. Described to anyone outside the company as a tag about the size of a fingernail, built into the object. No battery, nothing to charge, and it never expires.
TagsThe product name for DEPARTMNT hardware
Form factorsResin tag, express sticker, swing tag sticker, packaging sticker, on metal tag, garment tag, PVC plate wristband, fabric wristband, lanyard, membership card, mini CD
Tag ID (XUID)The unique identifier of one physical tag
Tap IDOne tap event: the record created the moment somebody taps
DEPT IDThe persistent identity of a person across taps and touchpoints
Tag standardsStandard tag is NTAG213. Advanced tag is NTAG424, which is authenticatableSpec pages only
Read rangeHow close a phone has to be. A few centimetres, always
On metal inlayThe construction needed because metal interferes with the antenna
Layer TwoThe experience (Portal)
The page that opens when somebody taps. A web app, so it loads in the phone's browser with no download and no account.
PortalThe branded page a tap opens
ModuleOne building block of a Portal
Portal tiersDiscovery, All Access, Flagship. Increasing depth of experience
Claim flowThe journey somebody takes to claim access, content or ownership
Layer ThreeThe operating system (Core)
The dashboard. Every tag, tap and customer in one place, and it belongs to you.
CoreThe brand facing dashboardNever on first mention without a qualifier: Core, your dashboard
Core modulesDEPT Identity, DEPT Access, DEPT Gamify, DEPT Commerce, DEPT Media, DEPT Connect
Insights, Segments, Campaign Builder, Tag ManagementThe four management tools
Activation rateTaps divided by tags issued. The single most important number in the system
Time to first tapHow long between a tag going out and its first tap, as a distribution
Repeat ratePercentage of tags tapped on more than one distinct day
Identity conversionPercentage of taps that resulted in an email or account
Deduplication windowHow close together two taps count as oneMust be documented and shown to clients
Layer FourThe commercial model
What is sold, on what terms, and under what name.
TapTechThe whole system: Tags, Portal and Core working together
Tier namesLite (free), Base, Studio, Label, Agency, Network, Network+Once pricing is public
PilotA first deployment tied to a real date, with metrics agreed before it starts
Minimum viable pilotRoughly one hundred units, below which percentages are not defensibleIt protects both sides
Powered by DEPARTMNTThe partner attribution lineNever Powered by TapTech
Layer FiveHow we deliver
The models behind an engagement, and which of them a client ever sees.
The four phasesIntroduction, Adoption, Integration, Community
What does the tap replaceThe qualifying question asked before anyone orders hardwareA better sales tool than any feature
The five jobsGet in, know it is real, make it yours, look after it, stay close
Layer SixWhy any of it exists
The four ideas everything else is built on top of.
The physical digital gapBrands can account for almost everything on a screen and almost nothing in a room
PresenceSomebody being physically there. The thing that was never measurable
Census, not surveyFor the people who tapped, the record is complete and exact. It says nothing about the people who did notThe honesty rule and the differentiator at once
Presence, not behaviourA tap proves an object and a phone were in the same place at the same time. Anything beyond that is inference
Words we never use, in any layer
Chip. Phygital. Seamless. Immersive. Solution. Ecosystem, as a description of DEPARTMNT. Track, as something done to people. Blockchain as a lead. DPP as an entry point. And in consumer copy: unlock, exclusive, reward, redeem, experience as a noun, NFC, data.
DEPARTMNT BRAND SYSTEM V1.0 · UPDATED AUGUST 2026