Conducting International Usability

As business on the Web matures, organizations increasingly pay attention to the first two Ws in WWW -- World Wide. Companies with international sales offices crave a distinct Web presence in each locale to demonstrate seriousness in that local market. Multi-national companies often use intranets to unify global teams. Maintaining global consistency requires centralizing these Web efforts (usually within corporate headquarters), yet this must accommodate distinct approaches to working which vary from region to region. User testing is a valuable tool in such situations, but how does one conduct user tests internationally? This essay draws from my experience leading an international user testing project, and I hope you can learn from my mistakes and successes.

Merholz, Peter. Adaptive Path (2002). Articles>Usability>International

International Sites: Minimum Requirements

Users from other countries have special needs related to entry fields for names and addresses, measurements and dates, and information about regional product standards.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2005). Articles>Web Design>International>Usability

International Usability Testing

Although products are commonly used in countries other than the one they were designed for, designers often forget to consider different usage circumstances. International use of the Web is particularly common since users can access pages from all over the world with a single click.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1996). Articles>Usability>Methods>International

Learning How to Use a Cellular Phone: Comparison Between German and Chinese Users    

The objective of this study was to investigate whether and how 'cultural standards' influence the use of typical daily products, e.g. a cellular phone. The goal was to provide insight for technical communicators who design information products for Chinese or German users. Hypotheses about differences in learning and information gathering strategies were derived from Chinese and German cultural standards. Methods used were focus groups, usability tests and a questionnaire. In focus groups, the question was raised about how cellular phone users had learned to use the phone. Four focus groups were held in each country (number of participants: China: n=26, Germany: n=24). A questionnaire was designed to provide additional information. During usability tests, the actual information searching behavior was recorded. Results indicate that the following cultural differences exist: The main source of information for Chinese is the sales clerk, whereas for Germans it is the conventional user manual.

Honold, Pia. Technical Communication Online (1999). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Usability>International

Overcoming Environmental Barriers

On May 3, 2008, something extraordinary happened: the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities went into effect. The goals of the Convention are lofty: it insists that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms and sets out eight guiding principles and obligations to meet them.

Quesenbery, Whitney. Usability Professionals Association (2008). Articles>Usability>Accessibility>International

Spread the Word: World Usability Day 2007

We are proud of the work we did to make World Usability Day 2007 a success. With 156 events in 40 countries and 30 online events, WUD 2007 was a resounding success. On the ground, events were held on six continents. Online events included a panel and several speakers focusing on the theme of Healthcare as well as other important topics.

Rosenzweig, Elizabeth. Usability Professionals Association (2008). Articles>Usability>International

Usability Around the Globe: Resources

This page is meant to be a useful and well-rounded list of resources related to usability around the world. The topics range from appropriate design for global audiences to developing good local content to effective global usability testing. The reality is that there is not much information available. This is perhaps the most comprehensive list available on this topic.

Rhodes, John S. WebWord (2001). Articles>Usability>International

Usability for the Masses    

The biggest problem facing the usability field is how to scale up massively so that we can impact all the user interface designs in the world. How big is this challenge? As of November 2005, there are about 75 million websites on the Internet. There are also about 30 million intranets inside corporate firewalls. Thus, there are more than 100 million user interface designs, just in the online space.

Nielsen, Jakob. Journal of Usability Studies (2005). Articles>Usability>International

User Research Abroad: Handle Logistics in Four Easy Steps

In our industry, we are often asked to conduct non-directed interviews by telephone with audiences around the globe. This presents several logistical challenges.

Young, Indi. Adaptive Path (2004). Articles>Usability>Audience Analysis>International

When the Field is Far Afield: Multiple-Country Observations of Complex System Use  

Describes the challenges of usability studies of complex systems that are used internationally, based on a case study of a multinational company's enterprise-wide call management system.

Anscheutz, Lori, Deborah Hinderer and Janice Anne Rohn. Tec-Ed, Inc. (1998). Articles>Usability>Methods>International

World Usability Day in Boston

Boston's little-known secret is that regardless of how renowned its citizens are for their literacy and tech savvy, we find consumer electronics just as hard to use as everyone else. The World Usability Day planning committee knew that as we raised awareness of usability and its related fields.

Blostein, Judy. Usability Professionals Association (2005). Articles>Usability>International

Conducting International Usability

User testing is a valuable tool, but how does one conduct user tests internationally? This essay draws from my experience leading an international user testing project, and I hope you can learn from my mistakes and successes.

Merholtz, Peter. Adaptive Path (2003). Articles>Usability>Testing>International

Language is Critical to Usability

Did you catch usability guru and world traveler Jakob Nielsen's latest Alertbox, "American English vs. British English for Web Content?" It's a good reminder that language and the use of language to communicate is not always as easy as we may think, especially if we are writing (or conducting usability evaluations) for clients in other countries.

Tomlin, Craig. Useful Usability (2008). Articles>Usability>Writing>International

American English vs. British English for Web Content

Users pay attention to details in a site's writing style, and they'll notice if you use the wrong variant of the English language.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2008). Articles>Usability>Writing>International

International Standards for Usability Should Be More Widely Used  

Despite the authoritative nature of international standards for usability, many of them are not widely used. This paper explains both the benefits and some of the potential problems in using usability standards in areas including user interface design, usability assurance, software quality, and usability process improvement.

Bevan, Nigel. Journal of Usability Studies (2009). Articles>Usability>Standards>International

The Effect of Culture on Usability: Comparing the Perceptions and Performance of Taiwanese and North American MP3 Player Users  

A study of how 23 Taiwanese and North American subjects use a consumer electronic product shows that culture strongly affects the usability of the product. Survey data shows that North American users had much lower levels of user satisfaction and perceptions of effectiveness and efficiency than Taiwanese users. On the other hand, results on performance were unclear, indicating similar levels of effectiveness for both cultural groups and conflicting results on levels of efficiency.

Wallace, Steve and Hsiao-Cheng Yu. Journal of Usability Studies (2009). Articles>Usability>Assessment>International