Cross-Cultural Collaboration:China & The West
Attended a very interesting lecture this week by Christina Wenjun Li founder of http://www.uigarden.net/ an online bi-lingual magazine focused on user experience. It strikes me that companies are only just beginning to take Chinese internet users seriously. There is currently a lack of communication between Chinese and Western designers. However, I am sure this is all about to change very soon. It has been estimated that within the next 15-20 years, the number of Chinese language websites will eclipse the number of English language ones.
Since the Chinese population represents about a 1/4 of the world population and as the number of broadband users grows, it would be foolish for designers intending to operate in the international community not to research and understand the habits and needs of this market. This is an interesting article on the top ten "myths" about design in China. Well worth a read.
http://www.uigarden.net/english/the-top-10-myths-truths-about-design-in-china
Here is another interesting article on usability in China. A quick look at any Chinese website and you will be struck by how distracting and chaotic it can be. There is currently a debate over whether this is because Chinese users actually prefer it this way or if they simply haven't yet settled on any specific usability preferences.
http://www.uigarden.net/english/usability-half-way-round-the-world
When designing for an Eastern audience, bear in mind that due to the huge differences in culture, society and language, just because something works for a western audience does not necessarily mean it will work for the East. Tastes can be widely different. Just try finding cheese in China!
I like this posting!
12 Jul 2007
Randy, this topic interests me a great deal. I have been reading two things recently that may be of interest to you. The first is a recent cover story in Fast Company magazine about the growing creative class in China. The story highlights a growing number of designers, architects, fashionistas who are trying to generate an authentic Chinese street culture and creative expression.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/116/features-the-next-cultural-revolution.html
The other is an amazing book by UK journalist Will Hutton called The Writing on the Wall. He was here recently (NZ) and we had dinner with him. Cool guy. His argument is that creativity and entrepreneurship and communism are on a collision course becasue creativity requires freedom to operate and communism is, well, not exactly free. Here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-2472001-3968732?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=will+hutton+china&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
13 Jul 2007
Vince, thanks for the links. very interesting and will buy the book as soon as i get paid next week! From what little time i spent in China, I can definitely see a potential conflict between creativity/entrepreneurship and communism. Having talked to a Chinese classmate of mine, i was shocked at how little she knew about Tiananmen square especially being the young, fashionable and well educated person that she is. The stranglehold they have on information is jarring in the fact that the Chinese just find it normal. But as internet access connects more and more people in China, and as these people begin to converse, I truly believe we are going to see a gradual but powerful awakening very soon.