Usability, culturally speaking
Have you ever walked through the city streets of an unfamiliar country? Do you remember the first time that you sent an SMS communication? (Have you ever witnessed a non-Finn experience her first Finnish sauna?!) Basically, have you ever entered a situation in which familiar rules and roles no longer apply? Suddenly everything seems to be different; all of your energy goes toward learning new rules of interaction. This is what consumers (AKA users) face when they begin to use new mobile devices, software, applications etc. Importantly, for the developer, the way in which users learn and adopt new roles and rules vary by culture.
To create a successful mobile device, product design must consider these issues right from the start. The most significant part of designing an application is paying attention to the target users and their needs; adding culture into the mix raises the endeavor to a whole new level. In essence, emotional and motivational needs have a direct impact on the usability and success of a design. And, since user needs vary by culture, interaction with a product does too.
When designing for culturally diverse user groups, developers should consider the following development process steps:
* Identify all target cultures
* Design and develop a global model that takes common designs into account
* Bring in a culture-specific interface designer to revise the design
* Conduct usability tests with culturally targeted versions
To create the best product, developers must put users at the centre of the design process. One possible way to expedite this goal is to have representatives from target cultures take part in the product development phase. Although it is not possible to develop a product to meet the needs of every user group, developers should have a clear idea of how the product should work with at least one user group in mind. If the product is designed to work globally, it will win a bigger market and generate greater profit - not to mention a better user experience.
This entry is based on an article originally published on Forum Nokia: http://www.forum.nokia.com/html_reader/main/1,,4752,00.html
