A new model for cross-cultural web design

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.People from different cultures use web interface in different ways, expect different visual representation, navigation, interaction, mental model, and layouts etc., and have different communication patterns and expectation. In the context of globalisation, web localisation becomes a powerful strategy to acquire an audience in a global market. Therefore, web developers and designers have to make adaptations to fit the needs of people from different cultures, and the way cultural factors are integrated into web interface design needs to be improved. Most previous research lacks an appropriate way to apply cultural factors into web development. No empirical study of the web interface has been carried out to support the cross-cultural web design model. It is noted that no single model can support all cross-cultural web communication but a new model is needed to bridge the gap and improve the limitations. Thus the research aim was to build a new model of cross-cultural web design to contribute to effective communication. Following an extensive literature review, a local web audit was conducted, then a series of experiments with users to gather and evaluate data and build and validate the new model. A new model, based on a study of British and Taiwanese users, was formulated and validated demonstrating that content and message remain the core of web design but the performance of the selected users is influenced by the cultural dimension and cultural preferences and this, in turn impacts on the effectiveness of the web communication. For the British user sample, ease of using the website was seen to be strongly related to desirability. Taiwanese users showed preference for visual pleasure but no relationship between efficient performance and desirability. The resultant model contributes to the knowledge of how to design effective web interfaces for British and Taiwanese cultures and is replicable for the purpose of comparing approaches to designing for other cultures

A new model for cross-cultural web design

People from different cultures use web interface in different ways, expect different visual representation, navigation, interaction, mental model, and layouts etc., and have different communication patterns and expectation. In the context of globalisation, web localisation becomes a powerful strategy to acquire an audience in a global market. Therefore, web developers and designers have to make adaptations to fit the needs of people from different cultures, and the way cultural factors are integrated into web interface design needs to be improved. Most previous research lacks an appropriate way to apply cultural factors into web development. No empirical study of the web interface has been carried out to support the cross-cultural web design model. It is noted that no single model can support all cross-cultural web communication but a new model is needed to bridge the gap and improve the limitations. Thus the research aim was to build a new model of cross-cultural web design to contribute to effective communication. Following an extensive literature review, a local web audit was conducted, then a series of experiments with users to gather and evaluate data and build and validate the new model. A new model, based on a study of British and Taiwanese users, was formulated and validated demonstrating that content and message remain the core of web design but the performance of the selected users is influenced by the cultural dimension and cultural preferences and this, in turn impacts on the effectiveness of the web communication. For the British user sample, ease of using the website was seen to be strongly related to desirability. Taiwanese users showed preference for visual pleasure but no relationship between efficient performance and desirability. The resultant model contributes to the knowledge of how to design effective web interfaces for British and Taiwanese cultures and is replicable for the purpose of comparing approaches to designing for other cultures.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Integrating R&D and marketing in new product development

R&D - marketing integration is considered to be a critical activity within New Product Development (NPD). A theoretical framework for the study of R&D - marketing integration levels developed by Gupta et al (1986) is one of the most widely cited R&D - marketing integration frameworks in scientific literature. It is based on the presumption that strategy, environmental, organizational and individual factors are those determining R&D - marketing integration levels and consequently NPD success. Several empirical studies have been conducted to test this framework, however most of them have dealt only with portions of Gupta et al (1986)'s model. This paper is an attempt to put forward and test an integrated research protocol for the study of R&D - marketing integration, based on this theoretical framework. Empirical evidence gained from a questionnaire survey and two company case studies show, that people active within the R&D - marketing interface perceive the studied constructs as relevant for R&D - marketing integration, thus giving confirmation to Gupta et al (1986)’s model. The presented research protocol can therefore be considered as a valid start into R&D - marketing integration research within an integrated framework

Analysis and control of complex collaborative design systems

This paper presents a novel method for modelling the complexity of collaborative design systems based on its analysis and proposes a solution to reducing complexity and improving performance of such systems. The interaction and interfacing properties among many components of a complex design system are analysed from different viewpoints and then a complexity model for collaborative design is established accordingly. In order to simplify complexity and improve performance of collaborative design, a general solution of decomposing a whole system into sub-systems and using unified interface mechanism between them has been proposed. This proposed solution has been tested with a case study. It has been shown that the proposed solution is meaningful and practical

SPEIR: Scottish Portals for Education, Information and Research. Final Project Report: Elements and Future Development Requirements of a Common Information Environment for Scotland

The SPEIR (Scottish Portals for Education, Information and Research) project was funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). It ran from February 2003 to September 2004, slightly longer than the 18 months originally scheduled and was managed by the Centre for Digital Library Research (CDLR). With SLIC's agreement, community stakeholders were represented in the project by the Confederation of Scottish Mini-Cooperatives (CoSMiC), an organisation whose members include SLIC, the National Library of Scotland (NLS), the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU), the Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL), regional cooperatives such as the Ayrshire Libraries Forum (ALF)1, and representatives from the Museums and Archives communities in Scotland. Aims; A Common Information Environment For Scotland The aims of the project were to: o Conduct basic research into the distributed information infrastructure requirements of the Scottish Cultural Portal pilot and the public library CAIRNS integration proposal; o Develop associated pilot facilities by enhancing existing facilities or developing new ones; o Ensure that both infrastructure proposals and pilot facilities were sufficiently generic to be utilised in support of other portals developed by the Scottish information community; o Ensure the interoperability of infrastructural elements beyond Scotland through adherence to established or developing national and international standards. Since the Scottish information landscape is taken by CoSMiC members to encompass relevant activities in Archives, Libraries, Museums, and related domains, the project was, in essence, concerned with identifying, researching, and developing the elements of an internationally interoperable common information environment for Scotland, and of determining the best path for future progress

A protocol study of novice interaction design behaviour in Botswana: solution-driven interaction design

Think aloud studies and protocol analysis are well-known in the field of HCI, but most often these studies focus on usability evaluations, or on the use of technology. Rarely are they used to investigate the behaviour of interaction designers. In this paper, we report on a protocol study with novice interaction designers in Botswana. Participants had just completed the design section of an undergraduate module on Interaction Design that actively promotes a problem-driven approach to the design of interactive products, yet the participants behaved in a way that is closer to a solution-driven approach. The module emphasizes user-centred design, prototyping methods to support design development, and evaluating design detail. Yet participants suggest solutions before exploring the context of use, use prototyping methods to capture, rather than to develop, designs, and do not produce detailed designs. In a problem-solving context, some of these behaviours are typical of novices, but in a design context they are also seen in experienced designers. The results presented here reveal the detail of the approach adopted by these students, and contribute to the wider debate concerning the internationalization of HCI education

Cultura e web design : desenvolvimento de questionário a partir de parâmetros culturais para a avaliação de websites junto ao usuário

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Marcos Namba BeccariDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Artes, Comunicação e Design, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Design. Defesa : Curitiba, 27/02/2018Inclui referências: p.85-87Resumo: Cross-cultural design consiste em projetar para diferentes culturas, garantindo a qualidade de interação do usuário através de barreiras culturais. Ao adaptar um website para outra cultura, não é suficiente apenas traduzir o idioma; toda a estratégia de comunicação do website deve ser adaptada. Hoje, um dos maiores desafios na área de IHC é o desenvolvimento de sistem as que atendam às necessidades e expectativas de usuários com diferentes repertórios culturais. Dentro desse processo está a avaliação desses sistemas. É comum, no projeto de websites cross-cultural, avaliar os websites através de testes de usabilidade. No entanto, esses testes não avaliam os aspectos culturais da interface, e sim a sua eficácia e eficiência com o um todo. Dessa forma, a presente pesquisa tem com o objetivo propor um procedim ento que possibilite avaliar aspectos culturais de interface com o público-alvo. O objeto proposto, assim, é um questionário, construído com base em parâm etros culturais retirados da literatura. Esta pesquisa é classificada com o de natureza aplicada, objetivos exploratório e descritivo e abordagem qualitativa. Ela é dividida em cinco fases: pesquisa bibliográfica, análise de similares, desenvolvimento do questionário, avaliação do questionário com os usuários e revisão do questionário com base nos resultados obtidos nos testes. A intenção é auxiliar designers e desenvolvedores no projeto e avaliação de websites adaptados para diferentes culturas, contribuindo em um contexto econôm ico e social. Palavras-chave: cross-cultural web design. aspectos culturais. com ponentes de interface.Abstract: Cross-cultural design is designing for different cultures, ensuring the quality o f the user interaction through cultural barriers. When adapting a website to another culture, it is not enough just to translate its language; the website's entire com m unication strategy should be adapted. Today, one o f the biggest challenges in HCI is the developm ent o f system s that meet the needs and expectations o f users with different cultural backgrounds. Within this process is the evaluation o f these systems. It is usual in the design o f cross-cultural websites to evaluate them through usabilitytests. However, the se te sts are not concerned with the interface's cultural aspects, but with its overall effectiveness and efficiency. Thus, this research aims to propose a procedure that allows evaluating the interface's cultural aspects with its target audience. The proposed object is a questionnaire, built on cultural parameters taken from the literature. This research is classified as being of applied nature, exploratory and descriptive purposes and qualitative approach. It is divided in five phases: bibliographic research, comparative analysis, development of the questionnaire, user testing and the review of the questionnaire based on the test's results. The intention is to help designers and developers to create and evaluate websites adapted to different cultures, contributing in an econom ic and social context. Key-words: cross-cultural web design. cultural aspects. interface components

Innovative collaborative design in international interaction design summer schools

[About the book]: Design is changing, and to educate the next generation of designers, these changes need to be addressed. In light of the growing role research and interdisciplinary collaboration play in contemporary design performance, Design Integrations calls for an innovative shake up in design education. Poggenpohl asserts that design research is developed through a typology within academic and business contexts, and follows different research theories and strategies. Such issues in design collaboration are explored in-depth, with essays on an inter-institutional academic project, cross-cultural learning experiences, and a multi-national healthcare project, demonstrating the importance of shared values, interdisciplinary negotiated process and clear communication for tomorrow’s designers