Abstract
A product undertaken by a design team, may not always have designers from the same cultural or national origin. When we carry out researches, as designers, we need to be aware of the fact that we as individuals embody a certain social class, area, or background of privilege. We need to set aside our biases, stereotypes, and assumptions. Bridging those differences needs to be important in order to make our work successful and to create products or services for a wider and diverse world.
There is a need to develop an understanding of the need for customer-centric designs targeting various cultural and ethnic groups as India is recognized for its diversity and ethnicity. Designing for various ethnic groups should not be tied down to replicating existing apps with just a language translation, advertising offers for products based on cultural festivals, change in currency system, and so on. Design should be much more than that.
India and Design
Design does not pertain to digital interfaces. Visual language has been continuously evolving since ancient India. Prehistoric art included rock relief paintings, sculptures, pottery design, and architectural design. These art forms depicted scenes of human life, their environment, livelihood, animals, art forms, etc. Visual perception is known to be a quicker means to obtain information. Visuals can be traced back to petroglyphs found in places like Bhimbetka are older than 5500 BC, carved pillars of Ellora, and cave paintings in Ajanta caves.
The rapid development of technology in a developing country like ours has seen the emergence of various technologies much cheaper than in previous years. The concept of Global village became popular in recent years as people have been connecting with each other through digital devices. But to use the technologies, many of the users need to make a rapid technology leap. There is a digital divide within our nation that cannot be overlooked when designing products. The problems faced by the people are not entirely related to computer illiteracy, but rather many of them are also illiterate or have very limited reading and writing abilities. Not every Indian citizen will use or understand the product or service, the same way, we, designers intend them to.
Graphical user interfaces incorporate visual imagery through interface elements. The navigational components on a GUI are represented by icons, buttons, tab bars, and so on. Are GUI elements used in digital devices in India derived from Indian contexts? The majority of software is developed or contracted by the USA. The interfaces have American metaphors and representations.
The primary goals of GUI are:
- Seamless user journey -Anticipate user needs
- Simplification of information
- Better clarity
- Faster perception
Language and technical terms if made simple can accommodate user fluency. Less experience with digital devices, common gestures such as touching, swiping, dragging, pinching can be unfamiliar.
Does the perception of visuals be different within people of a Nationality? Culture cannot be separated from technology as it works with the coupling of humans and machines. There is a transmission of cultural objects (text, media, sound) when people, societies, nations connect.
The employment of GUI is to help users. But can it really help Indians from different cultural backgrounds intuitively? Is it easy for those who are non-e-literate to easily guide themselves to intended actions using icons, windows, menus, buttons, etc? In theory, it is supposed to empower users to customize and personalize according to their cultural context. Will standardization of GUI globally really prosper or will cultural-centric GUI aid in being inclusive of all the people? The more aesthetic and functional are the designs, the more intricate it becomes.
Global product perception
When products get launched overseas, the advertising campaigns were merely translated to local languages, sometimes without the right consultation and cultural knowledge. Learning from past failures and how to counter those hindrances in design and technology is insightful. Here are few examples:
Amazon is the most reputed and widely used online shopping platform. When launched in 2018, in India, Amazon faced a series of hurdles when trying to emerge as an online shopping platform with the general public. This was due to the diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the Indian citizens. The curation of products sold within the platform received a backlash when products (products with imagery of Gods, Indian Flag, Freedom fighters, etc.) that hurt the sentiments of the citizens surfaced on the website. When the company conducted research on the ignorance of users in utilizing the ‘search icon’ to look up products, it was found out that most people thought the magnifying icon represented a ping-pong paddle. They then added a ‘search field’ with a Hindi text label to let people understand better.
KFC entered the Chinese market in the 1980s. Their famous slogan, ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ was mistranslated into mandarin as ‘Eat your fingers off.’ They quickly changed the translation to cater to their consumers.
Kellogs set up an Indian branch and started marketing cornflakes. But what they failed to realize was that Indians do not prefer to have cold food in the morning. Having cold milk with cereal is a cultural shock. Products created for the American or European market may not necessarily be relevant to users in India. Kelloggs ended up reengineering the cornflakes to withstand the warm milk.
When Pepsi expanded its market in China, they launched their slogan ‘Pepsi brings you back to life”. What they didn’t realize is that the phrase translated to “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.”
Whirlpool launched in India with a washing machine that relabeled ‘Delicate’ to ‘Sari cycle’ as part of their localization strategies.
A marketing plan is necessary before launching a product to the market. It’s important to understand cross-cultural differences so as to avoid misunderstandings, waste of effort, and time put in. Understanding how the product or service is perceived by the target audience is necessary.
“India has very different consumer and marketing conditions: be it in the structure of income, and hence demand, or heterogeneity of a mix of advancements and backwardness because of the way the market has evolved. Further, it has specific consumers needs and fulfillment methods that have their roots in economic, social and cultural history as well as in business history.’ (Rama Bijapurkar. A never-before world. 2013).
The author also tells how a flat world, doesn’t necessarily mean there are no differences in what people want, choose, think and behave. It means there would be common influences, but it would individualistic.
Before launching a product within the country or overseas, researching into the country’s history, religious beliefs, languages, cultural differences within the nation, climate, aesthetics, popular culture is crucial.
Towards global standardization or cross-cultural design?
Icons and other GUI when made universal improves general comprehension. Using widely recognized icons can aid in faster recognition. When icons are not obvious to the user, the goal and meaning behind for which it is assigned lose value. This is when a text comes in assistance. Enabling text to the user’s recognized language can help with better perception. But if the copy is just a phonetical translation, how far will the perception be an aid or a hindrance? English words have become a part of everyday life in India. Popular Words, phrases are recognized to be understood and used by non-e-literate and illiterate Indians. But this is an exception within a group of fast adopters.
Studies show even though the majority of the Indian population now have mobile (may or may not be smartphones) and that among them, illiterate populations avoid complex functions. They primarily use phones for synchronous voice communication only. Western-centric user interfaces and concepts in developing nations like India could result in resistance to adoption and learning. The ‘one size fits all design, makes the experiences impersonal. Will customization of GUI benefit the user?
Indians have been adapting and learning to perceive GUI. Not all Indians have access to digital interfaces and are e-literate, but those who have has adapted and will have difficulty or hesitate to adapt if a change in GUI arises.
Amidst the Covid pandemic, the country’s largest vaccination drive is being carried out via online portals and applications such as Arogya Setu and Cowin. Individuals need to register and book slots. The digital divide in India is being ignored through the setup as not everyone has access to the internet, smartphones, laptops, e-literacy, etc. This ignorance has taken a toll that can cost a systematic and seamless vaccination drive. Understanding citizens and providing an accessible solution is much needed in such critical cases. Services should be inclusive of people from marginalized communities, tribes, rural migrants, and the homeless who come with technological barriers. Not the mention, the late adopters of technology, which include citizens from different age groups and social backgrounds.
Material design was introduced in 2014 as a system for building a foundation for digital experiences. Designers around the world adopted and extended the system to work for their needs. But should design systems should not stay static. It should evolve to meet the needs of the users. Digital experiences should provide users with capabilities to be able to channel their feelings, requirements, and control over their personal devices. They seek emotion and expressiveness. Can personalized digital devices deliver better experiences when taken cross-cultural design into account? How can we design better experiences for the ‘next billion users (NBU)’ in emerging markets?
“Only through a better understanding of people’s sensorial perceptions and cultural values, will we be able to move into a new paradigm of quality where products have added value, meeting user’s true needs and making their experience more meaningful.”(Marzano, 2000).
