Key Features
*Covers practical user experience best practices for the global environment
*Features numerous, global, real-world examples, based on interviews with over 60 UX managers and practitioners from around the world
*Contains case studies and vignettes from user research and design projects for multinational companies and small start-ups
Description
Protocols exist in the field of user experience, but in light of the challenges faced by globalization, you must now incorporate new methodologies and best practices to analyze, test, design, and evaluate products that take into account a multinational user base. Current UX books and resources don't focus on the unique challenges of creating usable, well-designed products and services in light of varying cultures, technology, and breadth of audience. Challenges you may face on a daily level include: Policies, practices and behavior in multinational organizations; Cross-cultural distributed team issues; Multi-national corporations working across national boundaries and across cultures (both national and corporate); Global standards and national regulations; Accessibility for a global audience, including disabilities; and much more.
With Global UX, industry leaders Whitney Quesenbery and Daniel Szuc resolve this issue by offering real world examples of successful UX practice, organized by the authors around specific project objectives, as examples of different ways of working globally. Throughout the book, they provide best practices and lessons learned to help answer common questions and avoid common problems in a multitude of situations. The chapters introduce themes and frameworks of challenges, and then provide related case studies that present how experts solved that problem. This book provides a valuable resource for anyone looking to incorporate new globalized methodologies.
Readership
User experience designers, usability engineers, information architects, other human-computer interaction professionals, and students of human-computer interaction, software engineering managers, project and program managers, product and market managers, technical support and IT managers
Global UX, 1st Edition
Chapter 1: The Start of the Journey
This book is about people
Charting the territory
UX people are passionate about building bridges
The UX toolkit is global
Global UX needs many perspectives
Innovation comes from everywhere
The future is unevenly applied
A map of the journey
Chapter 2: It’s a New World
The world is smaller... and larger
Population matters
The Internet is flat, too
Companies are changing
Being global doesn’t happen by accident
Relationships between headquarters and teams are changing
Companies are developing local talent
Influences are becoming multi-directional
But not every company appreciates its local talent
There are new relationships between countries in Asia
We are more connected
The network helped UX grow
Global connections may replace local ones
We are more mobile
Travel builds connections
You can think of yourself as a global person, even if you haven’t traveled a lot
Innovation happens everywhere
National projects support innovation
The UX profession grows along with innovation
New markets bring new ways of innovating
New models for open innovation use the network
Thinking globally is also thinking locally
To think globally is to reach across cultures
Thinking locally is to dig deeply into a specific culture
Chapter 3: Culture and UX
Delving into culture
Culture is defined by what we share
Culture is a deep layer
Culture is more than nationality
Use of technology can create cultural differences
Companies and professions also have cultures
Many layers of culture affect UX
Finding difference and sameness
It’s about relevant differences
The question of Hofstede
Language and culture
Communication style depends on context
Cultures have their own communication styles
Nuances of meaning can be difficult to uncover
Chapter 4: Building Cultural Awareness
Thinking globally is a state of mind
Being open to others is part of UX
Cross cultural experiences can be right around the corner
Get out of the lab, office, and tourist spots
Get immersed in a culture
Getting to know a place takes time
Follow local customs
Learn the language (at least a little)
Find cultural proxies
Be genuine...and adapt
Dig into layers of understanding
If you are not sure, be human
Adapt your own behavior
See yourself differently
Chapter 5: Global Companies and Global Strategies
Organizations have cultures, too
Organizational cultures are all different
Four global product strategies
HQ and the regions
People outside of headquarters want a say
Maintaining a global brand from a central group requires control
Global partnerships
Outsourcing has two sides
UX practices are adapted for off-shore work
Attitudes are changing
UX in the organization
Managing global UX means managing teams
UX can be a change agent
To lead, you must manage corporate politics
UX can make a difference
A company can choose to be local
Chapter 6: Effective Global Teams
Organizing a global UX team
UX is often a centralized group
Global offices may serve markets or co-locate a business unit
Even virtual teams need face-time
Fully global teams work on an equal basis
Dealing with distance
Collaboration is a challenge across distance
Collaborating around the world means sharing the time-zone pain
There’s nothing like being in the same place…for key moments
Distance collaboration takes effort (and good technology)
Supporting collaboration and innovation
The value of global teams is in their diversity
Cross-cultural communication takes awareness
Make everyone part of the conversation
Workspaces can also support collaboration
People act as cultural bridges
Building UX and cross-cultural knowledge
We all need to keep our UX knowledge fresh
The local community can provide opportunities and support
Find ways to be part of the global community
Build global, cultural knowledge
Chapter 7 - Research in the Field
Setting research goals
Start with clear goals
Articulate what is global about the project
Decide how you will meet goals for global insights
Planning a global research project
Decide when - and why - to travel
Decide on a schedule and number of participants
Include time to deal with local logistics
Include time for analysis
Include time for discovery
Choosing UX techniques for global research
Multiple questions means multiple methods
Get out and see users in their own environment
Use other research sources if you have access to them
Focus groups are not the answer
Remote methods can work, too
Choosing the team
Global research teams include people outside of UX
Local partners bring additional perspectives
Preparing for the field
Use local resources to prepare
Make sure the team is ready
Being in the field
Pace yourself
Do other things. Go to a ball game
Working effectively with participants
Give it time
Recruiting is part of the research
Language matters
Interpreters can make or break a session
Chapter 8 - Bringing it Home
Coming to conclusions
Everyone is part of the analysis
Debriefing as you go keeps the information fresh
Distance can make analysis more difficult
Creating a richer picture
Reporting can be an immersive experience.
The goal is to help people connect to what you’ve learned
Telling the story
Tell the story with photographs
Tell the story with video
Tell the story with sketches
Act out the story
Let personas tell the story
Carrying the conversation forward
Move the conversation into the broader company
Chapter 9 - Design for a Global Audience
Get the basics right
Do your research homework
Plan for globalization
Do a cultural audit
Go beyond "just translating the words"
Decide on your strategy
Three approaches to managing a global brand
One product, with minor localization
A global templates with local variations
Locally controlled products, marketing, or websites
Create a good local experience
Global products adapt to local needs
Decide how to fit into the local environment
Design from your roots
Chapter 10 - Delivering Value
Build bridges
Lead by example
Create value
