Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6365-5094

Date of Award

Spring 6-9-2024

Document Type

Thesis (Undergraduate)

Department

Computer Science

First Advisor

Lorie Loeb

Abstract

Global mobility and markets are expanding, and as a result, countries are becoming less and less monocultural. With multiple cultural affinity groups to cater towards, companies often will deploy different versions of a website or app based on the country a user is accessing it from. This strategy of catering to geographic location results in a lack of accommodation for people living within a culture that is different from their native one. In order to increase accessibility and equal ease-of-use for all audiences, designers should understand and work towards the needs of a multicultural user base. This study investigates how cultural differences can be defined and measured, and how those dimensions of difference can be used to better understand cultural behaviors and thinking patterns in relation to the use of digital interfaces. Research was conducted on previous cultural behavior studies and on current trends in user interface and user experience (UI/UX) design based on country of origin. Additionally, a redesign of a current mobile app for an audience of two cultural backgrounds was created, prototyped, and tested with users in order to adapt and develop existing design methods and tools for a more effective cross-cultural creation process. The study concludes by presenting a set of heuristics and recommendations that designers should consider when designing products for users of different cultural backgrounds, to support increased cultural accessibility for user groups around the world.

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