Experience principles for cross culture projects.
The growth of the Internet has been expanding rapidly, breaching new audiences with their own unique customs, languages, and practices. Are we prepared to cater to the 3 billion or so new users logging online? Using the Internet as a digital spice route to connect to these new markets, we will consider key experience principles when creating websites, mobile experiences etc when catering to these audiences on a global scale.
With increasing demand from eastern markets, we need to revaluate how we create digital experiences that not only appeal to western channels but to also accommodates eastern audiences. This presentation will be drawing on my years of experience as a Chinese UX practitioner, with projects designing user experience solutions for high profile European, Middle Eastern and Asian clients along with an in-depth understanding of Asian customs and thinking processes.
4. FAST FORWARD 800 YEARS >>>
• Distance closer than ever
• Means of travel faster and easier
• Silk, spice, drugs and human trafficking still happen
• Language still an issue
• Communication still a challenge
• Conflicts still an issue
• Show me the money everyone still wants it
• Information – a NEW medium
6. TEN EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES
1. Work with local knowledge
2. One size doesn’t fit all
3. Respect is a different concept in the East
4. Prepare for the language barrier
5. Deliver a sense of status and prestige
6. Consider various communication mediums and interactions
7. Understand their technological behaviours and habits
8. Be sensitive towards the country’s values
9. Tailor to the local markets
10. Be yourself, be genuine
9. CAPTURE AUDIENCE INSIGHT
• Use local market experts to conduct user research
• Always check with local diplomats / staff to sense check the
use of imagery, translation and interpretation.
• Check out local newspapers and magazines to understand
the local cultures
• WARNING! Beware of information taken from the internet
13. KNOW YOUR ROLE IN CLIENT
ENGAGEMENT
Give face
HSBC cultural sensitive communications ad
14. 4. Prepare for the
4. PREPARE FOR LANGAUGE BARRIER
language barrier
15. DO YOU SPEAK CHINESE?
Different language/dialect
• Cantonese? Mandarin?
• Traditional? Simplified?
Traditional Simplified
Chinese Chinese
雞蛋 鸡蛋
Cantonese Mandarin
雞蛋 鸡蛋
(gai1 daan2) (jī dàn)
18. TYPOGRAPHY
“Arabic typography is half Arabic and half typography. It
is not possible to separate letterforms from the reality in
which they will appear. To understand Arabic typography
is to understand first what is Arabic.”
Nadine Chahine, type designer and Arabic specialist for Linotype GmbH
22. PAY ATTENTION TO
THE VISUAL LANGUAGE
Imagery choice
Content / copy, tone of voice
Information architecture layout
Colours in culture
• Chinese – Red represents good luck and celebrations
• Gulf – obsession with gold
30. USE THE RIGHT PLATFORM
Accommodate mobile as the main stream platform
• Mobile vs. desktop / laptops (40% mobile web users in China)
Take connection speed into account
• Superfast speed in Japan and Korea
• Snail speed in parts of China and India
• Broadband (max speed 20MB) unjustifiably expensive in Saudi Arabia
Identify consumer payment preferences
• Credit card vs Alipay in China
• E-commerce shop vs Taobao in China
34. CENSORSHIP AND PRIVACY
Take censorship seriously
• YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr are all blocked in China
• Baidu blocks pornography or references to topics such as Taiwanese
independence, the Dalai Lama, and the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
• Blogging in Saudi Arabia requires a licence
Extra caution with imagery selection
• Imagery of women, mixed couple (middle east)
• Alcohol, gambling (middle east)
• National dress code (middle east)
• When in doubt always replace image of people with images of scenery
36. TAILOR MADE SUITE
• Understand how users experience the Internet in their daily
lives
• Connected multi-channel experiences
• Utilise the power of social media
• Consider the role of mobile in the customer journey
• Capture analytics
46. Recap
THE DIGITAL SPICE ROUTE RECIPE
• BLENDING
• PICK & MIX
• INTENSITY
• CULTURAL COLOUR
PALETTE
• TRIAL & ERROR
47. http://www.slideshare.net/terryhma/
Terry Ma
terry.ma@lbi.com
Associate User Experience Director
LBi London, UK
@terryhma
Special thanks to:
Matthew Ma Eugenia Chan
Serena Ma Lorraine Wong & LBi London UX team
Editor's Notes
The Spice RouteSpices have been traded for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs tell of the trade in spices, which were so valuable that they were used in place of money and were seen as the greatest of gifts. King Solomon was once presented by the Queen of Sheba with “twenty talents of gold and spices of very great store.”For many centuries, Arabs controlled the trade between the East and the Mediterranean for many centuries. They monopolized trade by refusing to reveal their sources, even exaggerating the difficulty of obtaining their aromatic goods. The earliest sea route was thought to be from the East Indies across the Indian Ocean, and then either north to the Persian Gulf or across the Arabian Sea to the Red Sea. From these destinations, spices went to Babylon and on to Europe.
The 21st century digital spice route challenge – a new route – the digital spice route as there’s a new medium for Information - the Internet
Experience principles based from experience and insights working on cross culture projects targeting audiences in middle east and asia markets (e.g. China, Korean etc).
White – could beqatar, kwaitt or emiratesRed – definitely saudiWith NO colar, definitely NOT a saudi
HE is NOT a Saudi but more like Emiratis
In the processof putting together personas, never rely on desk research but speak to the locals to validate.
By 2015, Internet popular of China is 700 MILLION, double the combined number of Japan and the USOnline retail is a $360 billion dollars businessThe tier one Chinese cities are Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. These were the first to be opened up to competitive economic development by the Chinese government, and so are the most populous, affluent and competitive cities in the country. Strategies for economic development then began to spread to other cities in waves, creating the second, third, and fourth tiers.Tier 1 shanghai – 23 millionBeijing 22 millionGuanzhou 15 millionCzech republic – 10 millionUK - 60 million
To show face is you need to be there in person, they have to see you. Japan takes client for drinks vastly different business cultures.transaction-orientedvschinese relationship orientedChinese only use the people they know, like, and respect. To them, a transaction is not really business. This is part of the reason we have quality problems. To them, shipping a container of widgets for a letter of credit is not a relationship, even if you’ve been doing it for 16 years. It’s a little bit of a longer view than a transaction, because in a project, there are more details and teamwork involved. A project involves doing the task together—unlike an arm’s-length transaction—but there’s a defined beginning, middle, and end. The Indians are *very* good at this. figure out whether they respect you and like you before starting. They’re not comfortable doing a project or transaction first.
Beijing example of implementation
Bad example of Architects making assumptions that locals understand English – result – the design became all over the place and was too late to fix them.
DESIGN IS A KIND OF ARABIC
In the way you reflect your brand, you need to give a sense of trust, respect and prestige. Might it feel special Same principles in here but the triggers
Form a dialogue with the local audience through social media - word of mouth
Web reading pattern ofChinese users - clicking
Flash is considered the ‘default’ medium for commercial web designthere are 755 million cell phone subscribers in China – more than half of the population. That makes China the world’s largest mobile device market. That number will (of course) only rise as the populace becomes more affluent. Nielsen found that the split between the sexes was almost equal: women comprised 49% of users while men made up 51%. Adults aged 25-34 and 35-44 made up the largest percentage of users (23% each).for many people in China, the mobile Web is the only one they need. When they think of the Web, they don’t think of tethering themselves to a desktop PC and the accessories of mice, keyboards, mouse pads, printers and monitors. Not only do many homes in China not have (or need) landlines for voice communications, but also they don’t require hardwired Internet access for their fix of the Web. With mobile phones, everything they need is in the palm of their hand.In a short amount of time, mobile consumers in China have surpassed their American counterparts when it comes to using the devices to access the Internet (38% of Chinese mobile subscribers compared to 27% of American mobile subscribers), despite less advanced networks. Whether it’s kids in Beijing downloading games or adults in Shanghai requiring real-time information about the stock market and the ability to act on it on the go, the mobile Web is becoming an integral part of Chinese life.India presently has 35 million mobile internet users, out of which, 26.3 million users are classified as active users. The number of mobile internet users in India is expected to touch 46 million in September 2011
International brands instead of having their own e-commerce site, preferred to associate themselves with a locally trustable e-commerce platform
A long list of various payment methods
Same magazine, different region, imagery is adjusted to accommodate local censorships
Successful global brands emerge by enhancing experiences, functionalities and qualities
Maintain own brand offerings but localise product offerings
Getting the right mix of discipline together with local experts. Adapt and adjust to the local technological and media needs.Tailor the local offerings, pick and choose what is acceptable locally, identify and focus where you want to take them to the next level.Quantity of the mix makes a huge difference in terms of success or failureUsing the right colour combination Trial & error is part of the continuous improvement process that makes things perfect. Pay attention to the detail and refine it as it goes along.
