Border Crossing: The Role of Design Research in International Product Development  

At a time when theorists write of globalization as a global and local process, businesses can little afford to make assumptions about customers, even in traditional markets. This paper addresses the importance of applied design research, in the context of globalism, to the initial stages of product development. Products are understood here to include three-dimensional objects like appliances and furniture as well as communication products like software. Current debates about cultural identity in the context of widespread travel and global media are outlined. The possibility for research to identify the criteria of cultural appropriateness and acceptance of products is explored, and an argument for applied research as imperative for product design in today?s international business arena is advanced. The essay concludes with an appendix outlining an array of relevant research methods.

Roberts, Melody. AIGA (2001). Design>Web Design>International

Building a Truly World Wide Web: A Review of the Essentials of International Communication    

Though the Web knows no borders, linguistic, cultural, technological and legal barriers have confined most of the Web's growth to the United States. Only by addressing these challenges will Web authors reach a truly worldwide audience. This review of contemporary literature examines the current demographics of Web usage and the challenges these demographics reveal. Next, I describe some of the prevailing maxims guiding Web authors, and other technical communicators involved in the creation of World Wide Web content with the intent of reaching international audiences, and explain how and why these approaches are effective. Finally, I address contemporary thought on what can be achieved by making the World Wide Web a true international medium.

Arnold, Mitchell D. Technical Communication Online (1998). Articles>Web Design>International

Global Treaty Could Transform the Web

Mahoney is boiling mad over a proposed global treaty that would turn our worldwide web into a mishmash of regional Intranets, each attending to whatever local regulation allows.

Mahoney, Dennis A. List Apart, A (2001). Design>Web Design>International

Globalisation: The Challenges to Usability

English is the official language of approximately eight percent of the worlds population - a significant number, but still a small minority. Yet the majority of online content is presented in English. Naturally, many organisations will want to reach as many prospective worldwide clients and suppliers as possible, but the reality is that a user will always prefer an application that suits their own language and cultural environment. Globalisation refers to everything an organisation should do to ensure that its web presence meets the requirements of users in different countries. Successful globalisation requires tackling a host of both technical and content issues. Back-end systems that interact with your web presence must be reengineered so they can identify and process any language. The web interface and its content must also be translated and culturally modified for a specific language or target environment (a locale). Its a huge topic - here we highlight only some of the key challenges presented to usability by going global.

Gaine, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Design>Web Design>International>Usability

Going Global Gracefully: Strategies for Building the Global Gateway

The world speaks many languages, and so do an increasing number of Web sites. Yet with these languages and locales come a host of challenges for the Web teams who manage them, challenges that are not likely to go away. As companies 'localize' their Web sites for new markets and languages, they run into the navigational challenges of directing users to their localized Web sites. For instance, if your site offers a dozen localized Web sites, how do you ensure that users arrive at their intended sites without getting confused or lost along the way?  This article presents strategies for building a global gateway. A global gateway is much more than a 'select country' pull-down menu on the home page. It's an all-encompassing term for the devices you use to direct users to their locale- and language-specific sites. And, as you'll soon see, there are many ways to build a gateway.

Yunker, John E. WebWord (2003). Design>Web Design>International>Localization

How to Architect Sites Across Cultures Without Losing Your Mind

Ever since I started working formally as an information architect, I've clung to the belief that there's a universal set of conditions that we're trying to achieve. But what I've slowly begun to believe over my time working here in Japan is that there is simply no such thing as a universal good.

Greenfield, Adam. Boxes and Arrows (2002). Design>Web Design>International>Localization

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 Web Usability

They don't call it the World Wide Web for nothing. A single click can take you to a site on another continent and a business can attract customers from hundreds of countries without ever going to a Frankfurt trade show where they book you into a hotel two hours down the autobahn.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1996). Design>Web Design>International>Localization

International Webmasters Association

IWA, a professional trade association, provides educational and certification standards for Web professionals.

IWA. Organizations>Web Design>International

Internationalization and Authoring for Multilingual Web Pages  

Internationalization--how does it differ from globalization, localization, and all the other terms commonly found in the context of preparing products (for example, web pages) for the global marketplace? It is becoming an increasingly competitive advantage as corporations striving to compete globally realize its necessity. The issue is not to effect it but to effect it properly. Note, however, that internationalization is not limited to a company’s web site but also includes its products and software, related documentation, and marketing material and should be viewed as an integrated whole.

Adams, Cathleen. STC Proceedings (1999). Design>Web Design>Localization>International

A Prototype Theory Approach to International Website Analysis and Design    

As global online access grows, Web site designers find themselves creating materials for an increasing international audience. Cultural groups, however, can have different expectations of what constitutes acceptable Web site design. This article examines how prototype theory can serve as a methodology for analyzing Web sites designed for users from different cultures. Such analyses, in turn, can help individuals create more effective online materials for international audiences.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Technical Communication Quarterly (2005). Design>Web Design>Methods>International

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

How important is tailoring your site for a culturally diverse audience? To some extent it depends on who your target market is; but Web users are increasingly likely to speak languages other than English. For instance, research firm Global Reach predicts that by 2004 only one-third of Web users will be native English speakers. Combine this with IDC's estimate that in three years, Internet spending outside the U.S. will top $914 billion -- two-thirds of the world's $1.64 trillion in e-commerce -- and globalization begins to look less like a nice-to-have than a mandate.

Benett, Gordon. Intranet Journal. Articles>Web Design>International

The Web and Material Matters

At present the Internet continues the one-way flow of information from the First to the Third World. Can the Internet be a factor in promoting a two-way flow between the margins and the center?

Faigley, Lester. University of Texas (1999). Articles>Web Design>International

The World Grows Small: Open Standards for the Global Web

We know that crafting a more accessible website relies on understanding and using web standards including (X)HTML and CSS. It's interesting to see how the same practices relate directly to the design and development of internationalized sites.

Holzschlag, Molly E. List Apart, A (2006). Design>Web Design>International>Standards

Keep Your Site Competitive    

To gain a competitive edge--or even survive--in a world gone flat, a company must assert a level of uniqueness. Companies creating global Web sites can use competitive analysis and landscape analysis to analyze the market; Lee-Kim details how to add cultural analysis to this mix.

Lee-Kim, Julia. Intercom (2008). Articles>Web Design>International

International Marketing for the Internet: The Power of Virtual Shopping

Linda, an American living abroad in a country with limited merchandise, orders online for books, contact lenses, and smoked ham. Her Dutch husband buys from www.amazon.com and www.ebay.com because U.S.-based retail web sites offer a wide range of goods at a cheaper price than their adopted country, including lower import duties and lower shipping costs from U.S.-based cargo carriers.

Lopez, Joselito T. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>International

Promises of a Global Intranet 

Did you know an intranet could actually be more global than the Internet? The interactions within an intranet are more intense and frequent, and anonymity is replaced with specificity—your real name, job title and location. Company management often believes that a unified employee communication intranet site will foster a community, a shared corporate culture and a universal standard. But a review of two U.S.-based global intranets reveals that today’s reality may fall short.

Lopez, Joselito T. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>International

Ten Keys to Increasing Your Web Site's International Impact 

People and organizations generally understand the concept of the Internet's global reach. However, few see their Web presence as international, and even fewer have sites appropriate for audiences beyond their borders. As global competition grows and new markets emerge, building an effective international Web presence is becoming ever more critical.

Tindal, Richard. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>International