Digital products connect people across cultures, making the world so globalized that distances become smaller and relationships closer. However, many of the key platforms that we all use have a West-centric mindset. Thus, interacting with these user interfaces can present challenges to people who belong to cultures that diverge from Western norms. While many global software products strive to address this gap by providing localized versions, as a non-native English speaker who frequently interacts with Western English user interfaces, I have observed that some product teams still overlook the needs of broader audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds.
One outstanding example of a company’s initially failing to meet the needs of a broad audience is the Facebook real-name policy controversy of 2014, which required users to use their legal name on the platform, as shown in Figure 1. This policy clashed with the cultural norms of some indigenous communities, in which people’s names might not match legal documentation. As a result, Facebook suspended some accounts for non-compliance. Members of the public criticized Facebook for being culturally insensitive and ignoring cultural identities. Only after significant pushback did Facebook revisit the policy and let people use the names by which their communities most commonly knew them. This controversy highlighted the importance of recognizing and respecting cultural diversity in identity and naming conventions.
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Figure 1—Facebook notified users to update their real name
In this column, I’ll share some examples of common patterns that illustrate how cultural norms affect the UX design. Then, I’ll discuss some challenges of and tips for designing for cross-cultural contexts that derive from my experience.
Examples of Cultural Norms’ Influencing User-Interface Design
Let’s consider a few common examples of cases in which cultural norms have influenced user-interface design.
Filling Out Forms
Filling out forms is one of the most common interactions in digital software products. However, if the field names are confusing, the process can become tedious and create friction, leading to drop-offs. Among common fields, the following relate to cultural formats that I have found confusing to people from different cultures.
First and Last Names
In most Western countries, the typical order of names is first name, then last name, as in the sign-up form on ASOS, the UK-based, online fashion platform, which is shown in Figure 2. However, in many Asian countries such as Japan, the family name comes before the given name, as in the membership registration form on Rakuten, one of the biggest online, ecommerce platforms in Japan, which is shown in Figure 3. So when a form starts with a First name field, Asian users might require extra thought, especially when they’re filling out a form in a foreign language.
Figure 2—The sign-up form on ASOS Figure 3—The membership registration form on Rakuten
Dates
Some Web forms provide date and time pickers to minimize users’ confusion. However, misinterpretations can result if the form fields allow only plain text, without any further clarification. For example, the US uses a month/day/year (MM/DD/YYYY) format, while many other countries use the day/month/year (DD/MM/YYYY) format. The American Airlines Web site demonstrates this difference in date formats when users select different countries or regions, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
Figure 4—Selecting United States as the country Figure 5—Selecting Netherlands as the country
Addresses
Address formats vary across countries’ postal systems. Therefore, guiding users to fill in the necessary, correct information is essential, especially for international communication and delivery. For example, in the US, postal codes are five digits in length, with an optional four-digit extension. In the UK, postal codes use an alphanumeric format and lengths vary. Other countries such as Hong Kong don’t have ZIP codes. The United Parcel Service (UPS), which provides global delivery services, has considered these differences on their Web site for users’ selecting a shipping address, as Figures 6 and 7 show.
Figure 6—For the United States, a postal code is a required field Figure 7—For Hong Kong, there is no ZIP code field
Checkout Processes for Online Purchases
Typically, when people purchase items online using Western platforms, they need to confirm the price and enter their payment details, so the total amount and payment methods are usually clearly stated. Details usually appear in small text or as a link to another page, as Figure 8 shows for the final step on Airbnb. This method is efficient and speeds up the purchase process, working well for people in low-context cultures such as those of the United States and Germany, who prefer straightforward communication.
Figure 8—The checkout step on Airbnb
However, this differs for users buying from Eastern platforms. In the final step, there is a detailed price breakdown for each item, including the product price, tax, applicable discounts, and delivery fees. At the end of the page, there is a total amount, and the user chooses how to pay. This approach aligns with the needs of high-context cultures such as Japanese and Chinese cultures, who appreciate explanations and detailed transparency in pricing, ensuring that they are paying the correct amount, as shown in Figure 9, which depicts the checkout step on JD, the largest ecommerce platform in China.
Figure 9—Checkout step on Airbnb
Right-to-Left Reading Direction
The majority of Web content and mainstream practices around content cater primarily to LTR (left-to-right) languages rather than RTL (right-to-left) languages. RTL refers to languages whose script is written from the right side of the page toward the left. These languages include Urdu, Hebrew, Persian and Arabic.
Although most global software products support RTL content, some areas can be confusing for RTL users when interacting with mainstream LTR pages. For example, the star ratings in Google Maps simply display five stars, without any further clarification about which side is positive or negative. In LTR format, the last star represents the best rating, while in RTL format, it represents the worst, as Figures 10 and 11 show, which compare LTR and RTL formatting in star ratings on Google Maps.
Figure 10—Star rating in LTR format Figure 11—Star rating in RTL format
Challenges of Designing Across Cultures
There are many more examples of such cross-cultural design issues, but we can easily see how cultural norms affect people’s understanding of user interfaces, which can lead to confusion and friction for users from different cultures. As a UX designer, I used to believe that solving these issues for international users would resolve everything. However, the reality is more complex than simply solving for them. Let’s consider some challenges that I have identified from my past experience designing for cross-cultural audiences.
Organization’s Lack of Awareness of the Need for Cross-Cultural Design
Awareness of the importance of inclusivity in digital-product design has grown rapidly in recent years. However, when I bring up corner cases regarding minority audiences during development, the most frequent response I get is that their numbers are too small to impact the business. It’s difficult to implement cross-cultural design practices without first aligning teams on shared goals and values.
Risks of Creating Fragmented User Interfaces When Solutions Are Only Short-Term or Temporary Fixes
Localizing content and adapting it to specific cultural preferences can address such issues, but taking this approach without maintaining a consistent global-brand identity is risky and resource intensive. Organizations need to consider how to create a universal design that can adapt to different markets and determine the extent to which they should customize their user interfaces.
Actions UX Professionals Can Take
It’s easy to point the finger at others and say certain aspects of products are not inclusive or accessible. But we should focus on calling in instead of calling out issues: “See it, say it, and sort it.” Here are three suggestions for designing cross-cultural experiences.
Testing with Participants from Different Cultures and Regions
Gathering feedback from diverse cultural contexts is crucial to understanding how different users interact with a design solution. Doing so ensures that a product resonates with various audiences and highlights areas for improvement. Numerous usability-testing tools offer access to participant pools from many cultures and regions, making testing online or on site more cost effective.
Collaborating with Diverse Cultural Teams
Although not every organization has cross-cultural design teams, collaborating with geographically diverse teams is valuable. Time-zone differences and communication barriers can complicate design discussions, but fostering open communication and using collaborative tools can help bridge these gaps. For example, I used to consult customer-support agents from different regions about my designs and ask them for feedback, ensuring that I considered all cultural perspectives during the design process.
Building Empathy and Fostering an Inclusive Mentality within Organizations
It’s challenging for designers who haven’t experienced multiple cultures to empathize with people from different cultures in their work. One effective approach is to encourage UX teams to witness how diverse users interact with a product and observe their confusion and frustration. These experiences help them understand how cultural differences can impact the user experience and foster a culture that prioritizes inclusivity, leading to designs that are more accessible and appealing to a broader audience.
Jo is a product designer who has experience in various markets. She has worked in countries such as Taiwan, China, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Jo has a keen interest in exploring how different cultures intersect and influence the software user interface (UI), user experience, and product strategy. Over the years, Jo has gained valuable insights from these diverse cultures and their transitions. As a result, she aims to share these insights with a broader audience that is interested in the cultural aspects of digital product design. Read More
