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Global UI Design for the Web: War (and Peace) Stories of Domination and Democracy. Aaron Marcus, President Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc.
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Global UI Design for the Web: War (and Peace) Stories ofDomination and Democracy Aaron Marcus, PresidentAaron Marcus and Associates, Inc. Emeryville, CA, Tel: 510-601-0994, Ext 19Email: Aaron Marcus <Aaron@AMandA.com>New York City, NY, Tel: 212-220-8735 Email: Edward Guttman <Ed@AMandA.com>Web: http://www.AMandA.com
AM+A and UI Design • 15 Years old, 200 GUIs, four books • Clients in Canada, England, Finland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Singapore • Experienced with productivity tools,multimedia, and online serviceson most platforms and GUIs forcorporate, government, education,and consumer products and services
UI Design in Online Servicesand the Web • Rapid international growth: 1995-98 • Rapidly developing technology and key players • Non-standard user interfaces
The Challenge: User Interface Design for International Users • Analyzing users, thinking globally,acting locally • Designing user-interface designcomponents appropriately to users, technology, and content • Evaluating usability • Seeking universality, respecting diversity
Typical Localization Concerns: 1/2 • Language, spelling, grammar, style:House vs. Haus vs. maisonCenter vs. centreJanuary 14, 1976 vs. 14 January 19761:00 pm vs. 13:00 • Punctuation, measuring units:" " vs ' ', << >>, < >$ vs. £, ¥ , DMFeet vs meters
Typical Localization Concerns: 2/2 • Character sets; directions:Left to right, right to left, top to bottom • Signs and colorsFew universals: Pictograms, traffic lights • Time and space:Calendar and holidaysWeekendDensity of information
Additional Issues: An Examplefrom the Internet E-mail Culture • US/EuropeanJapanese:-) Reg. smile (´`_´`) Reg. smile:-( Sad (´`´`;) Cold sweat:-)) Very Happy (´`o´`) HappySource: New York Times, 12 August 1996
Examples of Past Challengesof Globalization • Latin American Chevy Nova • French Disneyland • Japanese tonic: Pure Sweat
Components of Globalizationfor User Interfaces: 1/2 • Metaphors: Fundamental images, terms, and concepts • Mental Model: Organization of data, functions, tasks, roles, people, and groups • Navigation: Movement in mental model via menus, dialogue, controls
Components of Globalizationfor User Interfaces: 2/2 • Look: Appearance characteristics (sight, sound) • Feel: Interaction techniques • Knowledge Visualization: Specializedcharts, maps, diagrams
Some Examples from the Battlefield • Culture bias is pandemic for all UI design components • Culture biases may be helpful, harmful, or neutral • Globalization vs. localization not a new issue, but now more dramatic
Old World Example: VisualizingGlobal Energy Interdependence • AM, with international team, designed audio-visual content and form for international audience at East-West Center, Honololu • International issues: little/no text, icons,layout language-independent, use ofcharts/maps/diagrams, usability • 6 months to develop 100 "screens"
Old World Example: Motorola's ADVANCE In-Car Navigation System • AM+A designed look/feel and consulted on mental model/navigation of a consumer product for trip planning, vehicle navigation, and map viewing • Route guidance appears as maps, arrows, or text for different cognitive preferences • International issues: differences cross-culturally were unexamined
Old World Example: Prodigy • AM+A designed variations of metaphorsand prototypes for revised layout,color, typography, and graphics, then recommended conventions for Prodigy's new Windows user interface • International issues: imagerymay fit/not fit local culture
Old World Example:Cultural Diversity in GUIs • Apple took 1-2 years to designIndian Newton UIs in 1995-96(Grisedale, SIGCHI-97 Proceedings) • Untested AM+A prototype of 1993:African-American's GUI • Untested AM+A prototype of 1993:Women's GUI
Early New World Example: Nynex Yellow Pages • Confusion of mental model • Implications for international users
Early New World Example:HotWired • Obscure icons and terminology • International issues: metaphors, mental models, navigation, as well as look and feel
Oracle World-Wide Education • AM+A prepared prototype UI designguidelines for Web-based training • International issues: differentlearning strategies not examined
New World Paradigm: Planet SABRE Online Service • AM+A designed variable UI components of metaphors, data visualization for travel agents' reservation system • International issues: variable text, icons, navigation, but not metaphors, mentalmodels? • Transference to Web: Travelocity
New World Example:Arabia.On.Line Website • International users • Arabic culture • International issues: direction, color
New World Example:Yahoo! Mental Model Variants • Organization of primary concepts variesamong nation/cultures • Variations mandatory, not nice-to-have for economic viability
New World Example:California Virtual University • What constitutes brand identity? Value? • What representation for Hispanic, Asian,and other minority cultures? • Solving anti-technology social contextin user community may impactappearance, navigation, e.g., use of representational icons, constant global navigation
The Future: Megadoses of Data for World-Wide, Wired Tribes • Micro-audiences of differentiated, individualized users world-wide • Information merged with transactions, advertising, and entertainment • Megadoses of functions and data, tools and symbols • Changing metaphor marketplace
Challenges for Globalizationof Web User-Interface Design, 1/2 • Many UIs need international variations for any or all components of metaphors, mental models, navigation, appearance, interaction: which components? at what scale? under whatconditions? • Developing a second alternative may takealmost as much time as the first: what is the ratio for the second? the third?
Challenges for Globalizationof Web User-Interface Design, 2/2 • Tools do not facilitate development: what is needed? clip-content? templates? guidelines? • Projects often have no budgets for usability analysis, alternative designs, or evaluations because of lack of business case proof to drive priority higher: how can business be convinced?