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"...generally in the west we categorize by what something is, whereas in the east it's what something is for." Interesting comment. Have you got more informati

• fidotron 12y ago
  I'd digested that largely from this: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439838730 http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439838730 That book is slightly out of date, but details a lot of actual studies (of varying quality) into both variation in priorities of users globally and how information architecture should vary. The example that stays with me was the Chinese having a strong preference for stores that group objects based by the room the object belongs in (imagine how lamps would be sold in a department store - either all together or lamps for the kitchen in the kitchen section etc.), whereas either the Koreans or Japanese were the exact opposite, as were most western nations. It's not a great book by any stretch, but it did persuade me that successful localization needs to consider much more than just language. Additionally working out how to invert the structure of what you're doing proves to be a useful exercise which can help improve the structure for all users. Finally, they emphasised that these patterns change with time, and surprisingly fast. Again in China there are strong generational differences, which they put down to the economic changes.
  • keithpeter 12y ago
    "It's not a great book by any stretch, but it did persuade me that successful localization needs to consider much more than just language." Nice reference. The perspective is the important thing, the book is just the vehicle.