Don’t Alienate Your User: A Primer for Internationalisation & Localisation
prototypr.io/post/dont-alienate-your-user-a-primer-for-internationalisation-localisation/
The web should be an inclusive place for anyone to be able to learn, no matter their background or location. However, despite global reach, a huge part of the web is only tailored for western audiences – 52% of all websites are in English, and of the 4.72 billion internet users, only 25.9% are English-speaking.
This article by Sophie Clifton-Tucker presents a whole range of considerations how to better consider varying cultural norms in design. It illustrates the difference between internationalization (i18n) as a “pre-launch” design phase task, and the “post-launch” localization (l10n), but most importantly provides an even broader perspective in calling for culturally aware design.
This includes aspects such as considering that not all third-party APIs may be available in all countries or awareness that the “hamburger menu” button is unknown in China, where instead a “Discover” button with a compass icon is used for navigation. I find these cultural considerations particularly interesting, and the author provides a link to another resource with more on that:
UX Design Across Different Cultures — Part 1
blog.prototypr.io/ux-design-across-different-cultures-part-1-1caa12a504c0
On the topic of China, I just recently ran into this eye-opening article about URLs:
Chinese Number Websites: The Secret Meaning of URLs
newrepublic.com