Considerations for Connecting with a Global Audience

Considerations for Connecting with a Global Audience

Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Connectivity issues, linguistics, culture and physical design are all important aspects of communicating with this global audience. The major concerns addressed here may seem common place. In practice, however, designers and usability experts continue to overlook basic communica tion considerations as noted by selected examples throughout this paper. Research conducted by the author indicate that 40 percent of developer have internationalisation training. Furthermore, less that 20 percent of development teams have receiv ed such training [4].

1. 
   Connectivity: Technical Issues
   

Each layer in the technical design process has the potential of generating a set of problems. Technical considerations like the use of p lug-ins, large images, animation, video clips, and dominant colour selections are just a few of the potential considerations designers face. The problem is compounded by hardware, bandwidth and connection speed. To illustrate the point, dow nloading a 3.5-minute video sampler at 28.8 Kbps will take 48 minutes or longer if the connection speed is slower [6]. Connection speeds internationally are problematic when coupled with complex site designs. In Spain and Italy, half the on line users are limited to 33.6 Kbps connections or slower [7]. In Germany and Denmark, only 60 percent of those online have connection speeds of 56Kbps or greater. John Roth, chief executive officer of Nortel Networks, in his address to the Telecom ’99 audience, noted that Nortel researchers found that 2.5 billion hours were spent waiting for pages to download in 1998 [8]. As the data attest, designing technically complex sites may have an adverse effect on delivering co ntent, even in developed nations, if downloading time exceeds user patience.

Moreover, the num ber of turns (hops between routers requiring an out-and-back trip to create a page) is increasing. In 1995, an average page required 22 turns, today that number has doubled resulting in slower downloading and increased user waiting [9].

According to the Organisation For Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) only ten OECD countries have unmetered (unlimited) Internet access for a flat rate [20]. Many developing nations, however, are charged on an hourly rate — a rate that sometimes exceeds the average hourly salary of its residents. This rate can vary from a low of $1.08 per minute reaching upwards to $1.44 [20]. The monthly Web charge in Argentina is $50 (all monetary figures measured in USD) or 17 times the average hourly salary of its residents. In Kenya the monthly fee is $100 ( email-only service is available for $10 per month), in India the cost is $82 monthly and in Armenia an astounding $121 per month for Internet connection [10]. It is easy to understand the international implications of the designer’s wo rk when placed in the context of the expesnive connection costs. It is also worth noting that many national telephone monopolies have begun to expire under pressure from the World Trade Organization and others. The result is lower connectio n costs as competition begins to enter the marketplace. This was the case in Mexico where in 1996 Internet connection costs were $250 and now averages approximately $25-30 per month due primarily to competition [11].

To illustrate this point ArchiText a localisation service company based in the United States advertises its localisation services globally (Fig. 2). The corporate homepage, however, is heavily dependent on large graphics and an animated, three-dimensional cube that notes the company’s qualities. Downloading this page takes one-minute using a T-1 connection translating in to a 20-minute wait for those using a 56.6Kbps modem. This problem is annoying in situations where older technology, coupled with excessive connection costs, may serve as a deterrent in effective communication.

2. 
   Not everyone in the world speaks English
   

Ar e visitors more likely to stay and peruse Websites if the site is in their native language? Research conducted by Alison Toon, the worldwide localisation program manager for Hewlett-Packard’s IT Resource Center, found that less than 5 percent of its Korean customers would be happy if English were used instead of the local language [15].

Research conducted by Pro Active International of Amsterdam also found that Europeans preferred the use of their native language on Websites. In both France and Spain, 80 percent of respondents acknowledged knowing enough English to navigate a Website, but preferred those sites in the French or Spanish language. Similar results were found in Scandinavia, although the number dropped to 60 percent of online users [15].

Another critical design problem in translating text into various languages is text swell — the difference between the width of text be tween various languages. Accommodation in design and layout needs to be considered during the design process allowing for this occurrence. Typically, German translations require 40% more space that English and while browsers can accommodate some swell depending on monitor resolution, it is much easier to design for the user’s lowest common denominator. Contrary to English languages, Arabic and Hebrew run right to left, while Japanese and Chinese character sets run top to bottom, creating a different set of design problems.

3. 
   What is the key to internationalisation?
   

It is also likely that the majority of designers have little experience designing in Arabic scripts that are bi-directional (right to left, except for numbers and fo reign-language words that run from left to right). Far Eastern languages require twice the space of English for each letter because of DBCSs. Localising a site requires special attention to these design considerations.

4. 
   Designing for the global audience
   

"The desire to become a cool site is often detrimental to good design. Certainly, boring or confusing sites will not attract many users, but the use of advanced design elements simply for the sake of adding more stuff to the page will discourage users from re peat visits to a site," said usability expert Jakob Nielsen to the 1998 gathering of the Association of Computer Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction [16]. With the rapid growth of the Internet, the need to ef fectively communicate globally challenges designers to adhere to the principles of simplicity rather than those of technical complexity. The classical role of designer is becoming that of information architect/information designer by encomp assing the tools of design aesthetics with user interfaces and navigation tools that promote, rather than deter, usability. Neilsen’s statement has added significance when applied in the global context.

The Federal Express site for Brasil demonstrates a business-to-business localisation attempt that may fall short of corporate strategy (Fig. 2a). Gains made by the conv ersion of navigation aids into the national language, the placement of the flag in the design and inclusion of local contact numbers may be offset by the representation of an Asian carrier. Moreover, visitors to the site have a one-in-four chance of seeing this particular carrier and a one-in-three chance of seeing a woman.

The aforementioned problems were compounded in the design of the United Arab Emirates site using the national language, local charter set, and reading preference while using the same carrier image as noted above, although it has been r eversed to follow the text flow (Fig.2b). The cultural problem here, however, is the use of not only the Asian carrier, but that of a woman with exposed arms — a cultural taboo in the region.

5. 
   Theory versus practice
   

Three other considerations wo rth noting in undertaking international translations:

Spelling varies between countries that share similar dialects. In the United States, "color" is different from its counterparts in the United Kingdom and Canada where it is spelled "colour."

Variations in colloquialisms are also important to consider during localization. The use of eleva tor versus lift or apartment versus flat are equally important in accommodating your audience. Attention to detail leaves the user with the impression that time and care was taken during the process. This process should also take into account special accent marks used in various languages.

If computerized translation services are used, they should be manually checked for accuracy. While the use of the service certai nly speeds the translation process, the service is not error free. For example, the translation of browse from English to French will return Regardez or watch, whereas in German it will return Blättern Sie or page (www.translations.com).

6. 
   Narrowing the Digital Divide
   

A significant problem that contributes to the unavailability of online services is the lack of telephone service in rur al areas of many developing countries. According to figures, 60 percent of the people in developing countries live in rural areas while 80 percent of the telecommunications infrastructure is located in urban areas [10].

Nor is the problem strictly limited to developing countries. In the United States it is estimated that telephone accessibility in rural Native American households is 18 percent below the national average, while access to computers lags by 15.3 percent behind the national average [17].

The apperception of the digital divide has recently become a subject of paramount concern. The World E conomic Forum ("a global partnership of business, political, intellectual and other leaders of society committed to improving the state of the world") in July of 2000, submitted a proposal to the G-8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit 2000 [3]. The 40-page report outlines current disparities between developed and developing nations and offered the G-8 a series of proposals containing both governmental and private sector endeavors, that will speed the upgrading of technology infrastructure to developing nations. The forum notes that "The internationalisationof this process (global digital opportunity) presents developing countries with an unparalleled opportunity to significantly accelerate and spread the benefits of economic development."

It is apparent that the segmentation between the "information haves" and "information have-nots" will continue until the d igital divide is eliminated. Singapore, with a population of 3.7 million, has a thousand times as many Internet hosts as the 60 poorest countries that account for more that 3 billion people. Iceland, with a population of 250,000, has 20 tim es the number of Internet hosts as 100 of the world’s poorest countries [10]. The World Economic Forum suggested in their report that "the digital opportunity will not be realized fully, and indeed could be squandered, unless deve loping country governments take decisive and enlightened action" [3]. Without assistance and persistence of the "information haves", however, it is likely that this opportunity may pass.

It is apparent that the Internet has a significant impact on the lives of those that have the opportunity to connect with the online community. The notations here suggest that there are numerous considerations that must be made in order to adequately provide information globally. Whether it’s the construction of a national infrastructure for access or the physical design made during presentation, the problem is complex and multivariate. Information and access to it serve as a first-step in the understanding and complexity in delivering content.

7. 
   The role of Culture
   

Hall ‘s work primarily focuses on the individual interpretation of written, oral and non-verbal communication. His wor ks include The Silent Language (1959), Beyond Culture (1976) and Hidden Differences: Doing Business with the Japanese (1976). Hall’s research has been in use for decades, but has taken on a new perspective with th e expansion and use of the Internet as a means of communication, commerce and research.

Starting in 1978, H ofstede conducted a five-year survey of 166,000 IBM employees in 50 countries and three regions. The survey was conducted using employees from the sales and service departments at each local IBM office and was conducted in 20 languages making it the largest institutional study ever undertaken. The survey allowed Hofstede a reasonable comparison between cultures (without consideration for various cultures found within the national culture) performing similar tasks. Hofstede’s work, however, also has several skeptics who suggest his research may lack some validity (or at least skewed data) owing to the similar "corporate culture" both in terms of the industry (high-tech) and a single multinational corporate entity .

It is this author’s opinion that much of the work by these researchers may fall short of an applica tion in the design and presentation of visual information. Both researchers focus their attention specifically with non-technical delivery methods, possibly a limiting factor, although not necessarily grounds for dismissing the application of their work in international communication.

There are three relevant factors, according to Hall and Hofsted e, related to the transfer of information regardless of audience, location, or method of delivery, the focus here, however, is the electronic delivery of information via the Internet. These three factors are:

1. 
   The sender or producer of the information who encodes it for its intended purpose i.e. sales, transfer of knowledge or as a communication tool;
   
2. 
   The information itself including the medium, format, layout, purpose and timeliness of the message; and
   
3. 
   The recipient of the information who needs to be able to decode the message and interprete it according to his background and cultural heritage.
   
4. 
   
   

There has been considerable discourse recently reviving interest in both Hofstede’s and Hall’s work in cultural influences and communication methods. The assimilation of this research may aid designers in approaching templates for internationalisation projects. They do not, however, completely address all the considerations needed in global design. Remaining issues include the linguistic, content and technical design aspects - equally meaningful in the design of an international site.

1. 
   Conclusion
   

Not everyone uses the same browser internationally. Moreover, users are likely to not be using the same version. Most localisation consultants suggest "dumping down&qu ot; to the lowest common denominator. In other words, a site should be usable by the greatest number of people. Ben Shneiderman noted that "Skeptics caution that accommodating low-end technology, low-ability citizens, and low-skilled users w ill result in a lowest common denominator system that will be less useful to most users." These same skeptics note that attempts to accommodate the lowest end of the user spectrum may compromise the development and innovation on the higher e nd [16]. While this form of Internet apartheid has its adherents, the broader gains made by accommodating

the largest number of potential users may force researchers to consider a wider range of possibilities in design and usability.

Other considerations that were not included, but worth comment:

1. 
   Values associated with direction. Power and righteousness are associated with the right hand in Western cultures, whereas in Chinese traditions honor dwells in the left hand while destruction is on the right [4];
   
2. 
   Carefully consider the use of icons for communicating concepts. The mailbox, standard in the United States, does not carry the same interpretation in other parts of the world;
   
3. 
   Attention should be paid to national differences in graphical representations. A power plug in the United States has different physical features to those in Switzerla nd, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe;
   
4. 
   Limit the use of alphab etic characters that have little representation or comprehension by cultures that utilize a different alphabetic system;
   
5. 
   When picturing people, be sensitive to the customs and practices of other cultures. Nudity in one country may be acceptable, but not in others. In some Asian cultures, bare feet or the sole of the foot send an entirely different message than in the United States, where the practice is common. Showing women with bare arms is prohibited in Islamic countries, where only the eyes and hands are shown;
   
6. 
   Avoid hand gestures to illustrate a point. They may not be interpreted the same way internationally; and
   
7. 
   Use the proper representation for time, currency, weights and measures.< /FONT>
   

There are numerous considerations in developing a site for internationalisation or localization. While the suggestions noted here give a brief checklist of considerations, it is advisable to utilize the services of local usability experts when preparing sites for an audience outside ones own borders . Nor is the author suggesting that all sites need to be translated. At a cost of 40-60 cents per word [18], translating every page and word could become cost prohibitive and unnecessary.

The author closes this treatise with the following design considerations:

1. 
   Content should account for 80 percent of the usable window space acquainting the user with as much information as possible about your site. This, however, may va ry on the homepage to allow for navigation aids and corporate identifiers and/or text accommodations;
   
2. 
   The strict use of "websafe" colours is no longer a significant obstacle for designers. It is estimated that the majority of users can now view thousands of colours on their monitors opposed to the rest rictive websafe palette of 216 for Windows machines and 256 for Macintosh;
   
3. 
   Page size should be kept to 34 kilobytes for optimum downloading by modem users. Proven Edge’s research suggests that users will bailout (leave the site) if pages exceed 40 kilobytes at the rate of 25-30 percent. This is in sharp con trast to a bailout rate of 7-10 percent where pages are 34 kilobytes or less [19];
   
4. 
   Let your users know who you are as soon as they enter your site. While this suggestion appears elementary, there are instances where this practice was not undertaken;
   
5. 
   Leave some white space for the user — it allows the designer to control the flow of information. It also allows the user some space to absorb the content without overwhelming the user with wall-to-wall graphics, text and animations;
   
6. 
   The standard hyperlink colour is blue and most usability experts suggest its continued use. Most online users have become accustomed to its meaning and can instantly recognize its intended purpose; and
   
7. 
   When internationalizing, a staging page with language choices should be created to allow users the choice of language. The use of international flags is at best can be confusing — i.e. which flag would you use for English — the United Kingdom, United States or Canada? Most usability experts suggest that languag e choices should be spelled out including the use of special markings, spellings and symbols.
   

Critics contend this type of journalism usually consists of reporting mere basic details and often includes the misrepresentation of facts and ignorance of contextual issues. The journalist often lacks in-depth knowledge of the situation and is usually disoriented because of the strangeness of the environment he or she is in. Often the only information immediately available is from other news organizations or from "official" or bureaucratic sources that may contain propaganda.

Journalists 'parachuted' into a strange situation often lack proper contacts. They may rely on stringers for their sources, and this can lead to strained relationships between the 'parachuter' and the stringer as the newly arrived journalist will receive most of the credit and in the process the quality of reporting can be affected.

Due to a lack of time and knowledge, background research and independent investigation of the events at the site of occurrence can be non-existent, with most research, if any, being done in the journalist's home country before he or she sets off for the point of action. Another drawback is the tendency of parachuters to engage in pack journalism.

One advantage of this type of journalism is that the parachuter is an outsider who can look at the news event from a fresh perspective and notice things or provide an angle to the story that a stringer may have missed. He or she is more likely to be able to pinpoint what a global audience will be interested in.