Chapter 7 - User research throughout the world

Abstract

This chapter offers insights from user experience specialists from 21 different countries. It illustrates some of the cultural issues in each country that can be important to understand when conducting user experience research. The countries covered include Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States. User research is highly sensitive to the local setting, which includes a wealth of factors such as values, social rules, weather, food, local travel, holidays, and electrical systems, as well as other everyday patterns of local interaction. Knowledge of all of these practices is very important in order to conduct a successful user research project. The results of user research are also highly sensitive to the methodology used in local studies. They give recommendations on how to conduct a standard usability study in their countries, as well as information regarding what to expect and what might be surprising about their country for foreign researchers and clients. The cultural norms that dictate a participant's everyday interactions are not abandoned when entering into a user research study. To get the most out of a participant, researchers must take into account these everyday behaviors and habits when performing global user research.