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| P 1.1: Multilingual Challenges |
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| "Improving Information Systems Usability by Having a Technical Writer Facilitate Stakeholder Communication when Developing the Requirements Specification" |
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David Tuffley
School of Computing & Information Technology, Griffith University, Software Quality Institute, Griffith University, Australia |
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| Poor communication due to cultural differences between information systems (IS) developers and system users has been cited as one reason why user requirements are not captured to the necessary level of detail and completeness, resulting in lower levels of system usability. This paper describes a case study that embodies a process by which a technical writer works to improve system usability by acting as a facilitator between the developer and user during requirements collection. |
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| "Design of International Textual Languages: A Universal Design Framework" |
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Basawaraj Patil, Klaus Maetzel, Erich. J. Neuhold
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Publication and Information Systems, Germany |
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| From a universal usability and accessibility perspective, the textual languages – interaction languages (e.g., command, markup, query, scripting, programming etc.) that are inherently textual by design, are based on English syntax and semantics are neither adaptable nor adoptable to the diverse requirements and preferences of global end-users. In this paper, we identify universal usability and accessibility issues in textual languages and show how internationalization of textual languages can ameliorate syntactic, semantic, cultural and cognitive barriers in using textual languages. We describe a internationalization development process based on universal design principles and demonstrate its application to a internationalized XML-Query and visualization language in various locale. |
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| "Cross-Cultural Communication and Comprehensibility on Web Sites" |
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Jakob Marti, ergonomie & technologie (e&t) GmbH, Zurich, Switzerland
Dr. Christopher H. Müller, Institute for Hygiene and Applied Physiology IHA, ETH Zurich, Switzerland |
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| Pluri-cultural audiences have become a reality for many Web sites on the World Wide Web. This study presents the reactions of German and Swiss users to Swiss idiomatic words and to English expressions in a otherwise German environment. The investigation with 20 users in a usability lab has shown that tolerance towards foreign expressions is well established within the target audience. Nevertheless, this tolerance suffers remarkably when comprehensibility is compromised. |
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| P 1.2: International Design Patterns & Design Guidelines |
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| "User-Interface Design vs. Culture" |
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Aaron Marcus, Valentina-Johanna Baumgartner, Eugene Chen
Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc. (AM+A), Emeryville, CA USA |
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| Using examples from corporate Websites in several countries, this analysis compares user-interface components (metaphors, mental models, navigation, interaction, and appearance) with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (power distance, individualism-collectivism, gender roles, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term time orientation). Several typical patterns are observable. |
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| "Design Patterns as a Guide to the Cultural Localisation of Software" |
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Pat Hall, Open University, UK
Chris Lawson, University of Luton, UK
Shailey Minocha, Open University, UK |
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| Guidelines have become an established aid to the development of usable user interfaces. In this paper we examine the validity of guidelines across cultures, suggesting that they are specific to the culture in which they were developed. We go on to suggest that the ability of Design Patterns to encapsulate context, and give examples of solutions that have proven to be successful in that context, may be a more effective aid to the design of culturally localised software. |
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| "Quantifying Hofstede and Developing Cultural Fingerprints for Website Acceptability" |
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Andy Smith, Centre for Software Internationalisation, University of Luton, UK, optimum.web limited, UK
Yu Chang, Centre for Software Internationalisation, University of Luton, UK |
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| In this paper we present research that investigates the significance of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to website acceptability. In addition we propose cultural fingerprints as a diagrammatic means of representing and communicating culture in the context of website acceptability. From empirical research conducted in China we conclude that considerable caution needs to be adopted when applying generic models of culture to the world of the web. |
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