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Globalization and User-Interface Design for the Web

Globalization and User-Interface Design for the Web. Aaron Marcus, John Armitage, Volker Frank, Edward Guttman Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc. Emeryville, CA, and New York City, NY Aaron@AMandA.com, www.AMandA.com. Presentation Summary. 1. Introduction 2. Definition of Globalization

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Globalization and User-Interface Design for the Web

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  1. Globalization and User-Interface Design for the Web Aaron Marcus, John Armitage, Volker Frank, Edward Guttman Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc. Emeryville, CA, and New York City, NYAaron@AMandA.com, www.AMandA.com

  2. Presentation Summary • 1. Introduction • 2. Definition of Globalization • 3. Globalization Design Process • 4. General Guidelines for Globalization • 5. Specific Guidelines for Appearance • 6. Conclusion

  3. 1. Introduction • Web is global distribution of products and services • User-interface design improves performance and appeal • User diversity: demographics and individual needs/wants • User-interface design issues are complex and challenging

  4. Example: A Present from India

  5. Example: Inside the Box

  6. User Interfaces • Content and tools = data and functions • Information visualization = significant aspect • UI+IV = user interface, including information visualization • Primary components: Metaphors, mental models, navigation, interaction, appearance

  7. 2. Definition of Globalization • Globalization issues and UI+IV Design: • International: standardized, “universal” • Intercultural: differences between two • Localization: customized, part or whole

  8. International Issues • Geographic, political, linguistic • Example: ISO CRT-color, icon, and UI standards • Example: Canadian bilingual requirements • Example: Currency, time, physical measurements

  9. Intercultural • Religious, historical, aesthetic • Example: calendars • Example: color/type/signs/terms

  10. Localization • Small-scale communities with preferred jargon, signs, rituals • Affinity group example: USA Saturn owners • Social group example: Japanese housewives • Web group example (geographically dispersed): MP3.com

  11. Business Challenges • Determine optimum characteristics: relies on market and user data • Assist and appeal to target markets: achieves short-term and long-term success • Avoid too many variations: wastes time and money

  12. 3. Globalization Design Process • Plan: include GD issues in all steps • Research: investigate sets of users • Analyze: determine key criteria, targets • Design: visualize alternatives • Implement: use tools that facilitate variations • Evaluate: test prototypes with user sets • Document: include GD guideline, specs

  13. 4. General Guidelines for Globalization • User demographics • Technology • Metaphors • Mental models • Navigation • Interaction • Appearance

  14. User demographics • Identify markets and segments • Identify significant differences • Identify increased sales with variations • Identify savings by re-use of UI+IV attributes

  15. Technology • Determine appropriate equipment for target markets • Issues: platforms, browsers, speed, scripts, fonts, file formats, et.

  16. Metaphors • Determine optimum number for markets • Debug miscommunication, misunderstandings • Revise for national, cultural differences • Example (Chavan, India): books, chapters, pages vs. desktops, folders, files

  17. Mental models • Determine optimum organizations for markets • Example: baseball vs. soccer in sports category

  18. Navigation • Determine optimum processes for markets • Example: USA Latin-American, African-American preferences for assistance with telephone services

  19. Interaction • Determine optimum variations for markets, inc. multi-modal • Example: text-only vs. graphics-rich access speeds • Example: Japan/Europe vs. USA styles • Classical Errors: Euro-Disneyland

  20. Appearance • Determine optimum variations for markets • Example: High-density text/imagery acceptance for Asian-script users • Classical errors: Chevy Nova, Microsoft India/Pakistan time-zone map flap

  21. 5. Specific Guidelines for Appearance • Layout • Icons and symbols • Typography • Color • Aesthetics • Language and verbal style

  22. Layout • Arrange and orient text, menus, tables, graphics, panes, windows for language direction • Westerners example: Arabia.On.Line • Revise controls, sentence-layouts of forms for language syntax • Example: English/French imbedded verbs vs. German verbs often at end

  23. Example: Arabia.On.Line

  24. Icons and Symbols • Avoid text: language, alphabet changes • Vary for clarity within nations, culturesExample: Planet Sabre’s mailbox icons • Consider appeal of “exotic” forms • Consider using international signs • Use appropriate, legal signsExamples: equipment, Smiley face, Mickey Mouse ™

  25. Example: Sabre’s Planet Sabre Mailbox Icons

  26. Example: International Signs

  27. Example: E-Mail Emoticons • US/European Japanese:-) Regular smile (´`_´`) Reg smile:-( Sad (´`´`;) Cold sweat:-)) Very Happy (´`o´`) HappySource: New York Times, 12 August 1996

  28. Typography • Use widely available fonts • Use appropriate formats for numbers, currency, time, physical measurements: • 1,234, 567.89 vs 1.234.567,89 vs. 1 234 • 8 pm vs. 20:00 • May 22, 2002; 22 May 2002; 2002.05.22 vs. Imperial Heisei, or H13 (Japan)

  29. Color • Follow perceptual guides for legibility, warm/cool, 5±2 variations • National, cultural, religious usage • Sacred Examples: white/blue/gold (Western) vs. green/blue (Arab) vs. yellow (Buddhist) • Consider attitudes toward high- vs low-chroma (pastel) colors

  30. Example: Color Sets • Sacred Colors • High- vs Low-Chroma Colors

  31. Aesthetics: Dionysus/Apollo • Cultural preferences for layout, textures, patterns, colors • Europe/USA/Chinese/Japanese/ Indian architecture, painting • Traditional vs popular styles: Japan: highest = B+W, asymm. balance • Specific attitudes: body parts, Harel, Prabhu research in China, Japan

  32. Ex: Finnish Backgrounds

  33. Language and Verbal style • Use appropriate languages, alphabets • Consider lengths of text, spelling, abbreviations, sorting • A-Z Sort: AÅ (France), ZÅ (Finland) • Use of hyphens, emphasis, quotes, double quotes • Examples: << >>, “ “, ‘ ‘, Italic

  34. 6. Conclusion • Web UI+IV design is immediately global • Develop specs per target markets • Resources exist • Design, evaluate, document variations

  35. A Challenge: Bone vs. Bottle

  36. Acknowledgements • Stephanidis, User Interfaces for All chapter • Del Galdo, Nielsen, Fernandes references • Prabhu, Kurosu research

  37. List Servers • ACM/SIGCHI Intercultural listserve:chi-intercultural@acm.orgModerator: Donald Day,d.day@acm.orgwww.HCIBib.org//SIGCHI/Intercultural • Non-sponsored intercultural research:Cross-L, University of DenverOwner: Roberto EvaristoFor info: Donald Day, d.day@acm.org

  38. Other Info Sources • Cross-cultural color: wwwColorTool.com • Stephanidis, ed. User Interfaces for All, Lawrenc Erlbaum Associates, 1999 • IWIPS99; IWIPS00, 13-15 July 2000 • CHI99 SIG; HCII99: Cultural Diversity Panel August 1999, Munich • Simple Eng:www.userlab.com/SE.html

  39. Selected References • DelGaldo and Nielsen, ed., International User Interfaces, 1996 • Fernandes, Global Interf. Design, 1995 • Marcus, "Internat. and Intercult. UIs," in UIs. for All,  Stephanidis, ed., 1999 • Nielsen, ed., Designing User Interfaces or International Use, 1990 • Waters, Universal Web Design, 1997

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