Global UX: Design and Research in a Connected World

Chapter 1: The Start of the Journey

• This Book is about People
• Charting the Territory
• UX People are Passionate about Building Bridges
• The UX Toolkit is Global
• Global UX Needs Many Perspectives
• Innovation Comes from Everywhere
• The Future is Unevenly Applied
• A Map of the Journey

Chapter 2: It’s a New World

• The world is smaller… and larger
• Population matters
• The Internet is flat, too
• Companies are changing
• Being global doesn’t happen by accident
• Relationships between headquarters and teams are changing
• Companies are developing local talent
• Influences are becoming multi-directional
• But not every company appreciates its local talent
• There are new relationships between countries in Asia
• We are more connected
• The network helped UX grow
• Global connections may replace local ones
• We are more mobile
• Travel builds connections
• You can think of yourself as a global person, even if you haven’t traveled a lot
• Innovation happens everywhere
• National projects support innovation
• The UX profession grows along with innovation
• New markets bring new ways of innovating
• New models for open innovation use the network
• Thinking globally is also thinking locally
• To think globally is to reach across cultures
• Thinking locally is to dig deeply into a specific culture

Chapter 3: Culture and UX

• Delving into culture
• Culture is defined by what we share
• Culture is a deep layer
• Culture is more than nationality
• Use of technology can create cultural differences
• Companies and professions also have cultures
• Many layers of culture affect UX
• Finding difference and sameness
• It’s about relevant differences
• The question of Hofstede
• Language and culture
• Communication style depends on context
• Cultures have their own communication styles
• Nuances of meaning can be difficult to uncover

Chapter 4: Building Cultural Awareness

• Thinking globally is a state of mind
• Being open to others is part of UX
• Cross cultural experiences can be right around the corner
• Get out of the lab, office, and tourist spots
• Get immersed in a culture
• Getting to know a place takes time
• Follow local customs
• Learn the language (at least a little)
• Find cultural proxies
• Be genuine…and adapt
• Dig into layers of understanding
• If you are not sure, be human
• Adapt your own behavior
• See yourself differently

Chapter 5: Global Companies and Global Strategies

• Organizations have cultures, too
• Organizational cultures are all different
• Four global product strategies
• HQ and the regions
• People outside of headquarters want a say
• Maintaining a global brand from a central group requires control
• Global partnerships
• Outsourcing has two sides
• UX practices are adapted for off-shore work
• Attitudes are changing
• UX in the organization
• Managing global UX means managing teams
• UX can be a change agent
• To lead, you must manage corporate politics
• UX can make a difference
• A company can choose to be local

Chapter 6: Effective Global Teams

• Organizing a global UX team
• UX is often a centralized group
• Global offices may serve markets or co-locate a business unit
• Even virtual teams need face-time
• Fully global teams work on an equal basis
• Dealing with distance
• Collaboration is a challenge across distance
• Collaborating around the world means sharing the time-zone pain
• There’s nothing like being in the same place…for key moments
• Distance collaboration takes effort (and good technology)
• Supporting collaboration and innovation
• The value of global teams is in their diversity
• Cross-cultural communication takes awareness
• Make everyone part of the conversation
• Workspaces can also support collaboration
• People act as cultural bridges
• Building UX and cross-cultural knowledge
• We all need to keep our UX knowledge fresh
• The local community can provide opportunities and support
• Find ways to be part of the global community
• Build global, cultural knowledge

Chapter 7: Research in the Field

• Setting research goals
• Start with clear goals
• Articulate what is global about the project
• Decide how you will meet goals for global insights
• Planning a global research project
• Decide when – and why – to travel
• Decide on a schedule and number of participants
• Include time to deal with local logistics
• Include time for analysis
• Include time for discovery
• Choosing UX techniques for global research
• Multiple questions means multiple methods
• Get out and see users in their own environment
• Use other research sources if you have access to them
• Focus groups are not the answer
• Remote methods can work, too
• Choosing the team
• Global research teams include people outside of UX
• Local partners bring additional perspectives
• Preparing for the field
• Use local resources to prepare
• Make sure the team is ready
• Being in the field
• Pace yourself
• Do other things. Go to a ball game
• Working effectively with participants
• Give it time
• Recruiting is part of the research
• Language matters
• Interpreters can make or break a session

Chapter 8: Bringing it Home

• Coming to conclusions
• Everyone is part of the analysis
• Debriefing as you go keeps the information fresh
• Distance can make analysis more difficult
• Creating a richer picture
• Reporting can be an immersive experience.
• The goal is to help people connect to what you’ve learned
• Telling the story
• Tell the story with photographs
• Tell the story with video
• Tell the story with sketches
• Act out the story
• Let personas tell the story
• Carrying the conversation forward
• Move the conversation into the broader company

Chapter 9: Design for a Global Audience

• Get the basics right
• Do your research homework
• Plan for globalization
• Do a cultural audit
• Go beyond “just translating the words”
• Decide on your strategy
• Three approaches to managing a global brand
• One product, with minor localization
• A global templates with local variations
• Locally controlled products, marketing, or websites
• Create a good local experience
• Global products adapt to local needs
• Decide how to fit into the local environment
• Design from your roots

Chapter 10: Delivering Value

• Build bridges
• Lead by example
• Create value

Quotes

“If you work in a global team (or wish you did) — or if your product or service goes outside your country (or you wish it did) — you need this book. Hear the voices of 65 user experience practitioners who live and work globally. Whitney Quesenbery and Dan Szuc have taken these stories and wrapped them into fascinating and compelling insights about global work today.” — Janice (Ginny) Redish, author of Letting Go of the Words — Writing Web Content that Works

“Your guidebook to becoming a design hero by applying the distilled wisdom from successful global UX teams: Gain strength from diversity, collaborate at a global scale, learn the local culture and then create value.” — Ben Shneiderman, University of Maryland

“In these pages the reader quickly gains an understanding of the intricacies, importance and excitement in global UX. Whitney Quesenbery and Daniel Szuc have delivered a fabulous mix of experienced global voices that we all can take on the challenging and rewarding journey of (literally) making the world a little easier, a little safer, and little more fun.” — Robert M. Schumacher, Ph.D., Managing Director, User Centric, Inc.

ISBN: 9780123785916 | View in bookstore