Digital Design for a Global Audience

1. Image courtesy of http://lateam.wikispaces.com/ Digital Design for a Global Audience Communicating the right message

2. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Digital Design • Digital Design refers to the art of selecting and arranging digital elements (data) , such as text , graphics, animation, and video, to convey a message to an audience. • This message can be : • Entertaining • informative

3. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Accessibility • The vary nature of digital design makes it extremely accessible. • The more accessible something is the larger the viewing audience will be. • When designing a digital design, whether it is intended for a global audience or not, the accessibility of the design, can allow it to reach a global audience.

4. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Challenges • The greatest challenge that digital designers are faced with is ensuring that their design communicates the intended message. • A designer must be concerned with the individual who will be viewing or interacting with their design, to attain the message. • What is meaningful and natural for one group may be ambiguous, unintelligible, or arbitrary for another.

5. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Considerations • When preparing a global design, designers should consider cultural issues, including: • Language • Symbols and Icons • Color • Stereotypes • Religion

6. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Language • Not everyone speaks English. • Use short sentences, with 20 words or less. • Shorter sentences are less intimidating to international readers. • Avoid idioms, abbreviations and slang • Avoid ambiguous words • Words that have different meanings or mean something different in another language

7. Taghavi-Burris 2009 No - Go The Chevy Nova translates to Chevy “No Go” in Spanish.

8. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Symbols and Icons • Symbols and icons can be interpreted subjectively. • Some cultures use more symbols in communication than others, which is related to cultural deviation in writing and language. • For example, Japanese and other Asian languages using the kanji script have a stronger ability to perceive and use visual symbols.

9. Symbol and Icon Usage • Symbols allows for a message to be communicated quickly • However, if the viewer is not familiar with the symbol beforehand, interpreting its meaning is difficult. • Icons and symbols are used heavily in digital design: • Web Design • Video Game Design

10. Considerations • Symbols and Icons should be simple • Symbols used in our daily lives may not have the same meaning else where • Use symbols and icons that have universal meaning

11. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Differences in Icons Most US e-commerce sites will use a shopping cart icon to represent purchases. However, European e-commerce sites, use a shopping bag or basket icon.

12. Taghavi-Burris 2009 ISO Public Information Symbols

13. Taghavi-Burris 2009 ISO Public Information Symbols

14. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Color • Color is the most significant element of design. • Colors are an element of design that people react to on a instinctive level. Often, they don't realize they are reacting to it. • For example, in the U.S. many hospitals dress their nurses in light blues and pale pinks. This is because these are calming, soothing colors, and upset patients relax a little in their presence.

15. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Color Associations • Color conveys meanings in two primary ways: • natural associations • psychological symbolism • People are comfortable when colors remind them of similar things. • For example, a soft shade of blue triggers natural associations with the sky and a psychological sense of calm.

16. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Contradictory Meaning • Contradictory psychological/cultural meanings of colors may arise from any of the following: • Cultural associations • Political and historical associations • Religious and mythical associations • Linguistic associations • Contemporary usage and fads

17. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Color Considerations • Familiarize yourself with different meanings of color • Make considerations for the Color Blind • 7% of the men in the US are color blind • Simplify Color Schemes

18. Taghavi-Burris 2009 How color blind see popular sites

19. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Video Game Industry • The video game industry is the fastest growing in the digital design field. • Videogame Industry is worth over $100 Billion Worldwide • Video Games are accessible through • International Sales • Streaming downloads • Online gaming

20. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Game Systems • Games systems are about : • Interactions • Strategies • Culture and countries interact and develop strategies differently

21. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Game Design Considerations • Stereotypes • Japanese developers created Shadow of Rome in 2005 flopped, because of western stereotypes • Cultural differences • Japanese enjoy more structured and objective games, • US gamers want immersive exploration and control • Differences in laws

22. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Resources • Western Symbols Dictionary – http://www.symbols.com • International Organization of Standards - http://www.iso.org • Branding Color - http://bit.ly/9BaQ28 • Color By State: http://bit.ly/bYDQkW • Colors Matter: http://www.colormatters.com • Smashing Magazine Global Web Design : http://bit.ly/aTspZi • Japanese Video Game Catch up : http://nyti.ms/cNjsKQ

23. Taghavi-Burris 2009 Follow Me www.akramsidesa.com ataghaviburris@occc.edu @ataghaviburris - twitter