1st Edition

Usability and Internationalization of Information Technology

Edited By Nuray Aykin Copyright 2005
    392 Pages
    by CRC Press

    392 Pages
    by CRC Press

    Today, more and more Web sites are providing content in multiple languages for targeted countries, and more and more products are being designed for cultural differences in mind. However, the concept of cross-cultural design has not yet become a strong force in the practitioners' and educators' agenda. This book looks at techniques, software, tools, the current state of the art, and future directions that one needs to understand for a successful application of cross-cultural interface design.

    Usability and Internationalization of Information Technology provides a bridge between theoretical foundations and practical examples, as well as guidelines for designing information technology for different cultures, languages, and locales. Written by some of the foremost practitioners from the United States, Europe, and Asia, the book is organized into three sections. It begins with a general introduction to the topic and discusses cultural considerations. Part II focuses on some aspects of design, cost justification and international usability evaluations. Part III covers three case studies on international user interface design. An appendix is included at the end of the book, providing a list of books and magazines published in the area of internationalization in the user interface design, project management, software design and development fields, as well as valuable resources, the leading journals, and the non-profit organizations that deal with internationalization.

    Contents: G. Salvendy, Series Foreword. J. Nielsen, Foreword to Book. Preface. Part I: Introduction and Cultural Considerations. N. Aykin, Overview: Where to Start and What to Consider. N. Aykin, A.E. Milewsik, Practical Issues and Guidelines for International Information Display. A. Marcus, User Interface Design and Culture. E.W. Gould, Synthesizing the Literature on Cultural Values. J. Woods, Managing Multicultural Content in the Global Enterprise. Part II: Design Issues and Usability Engineering. W. Horton, Graphics: The Not Quite Universal Language. S.M. Dray, D.A. Siegel, "Sunday in Shanghai, Monday in Madrid?!": Key Issues and Decisions in Planning International User Studies. D.J. Mayhew, R.G. Bias, Cost-Justifying Usability Engineering for Cross-Cultural User Interface Design. Part III: Case Studies. J. Clarke, Cross-Cultural Design for Children in a Cyber Setting. K. Röse, Intercultural Human-Machine Systems: Empirical Study of User Requirements in Mainland China. H. Degen, K-L. Lubin, S. Pedell, Z. Ji, Travel Planning on the Web: A Cross-Cultural Case Study. Appendix.

    Biography

    Nuray Aykin

    "This is a wide-ranging book, attempting to bring internationalization and usability closer together in a meaningful way through the medium of 'culture'."

    Multilingual Computing & Technology

    "This book is concerned (in a commercial context) with how globalization will affect web-based technology. Readers involved with web sites need to buy this book!"
    British Journal of Educational Technology

    Nuray Aykin has put together an anthology of articles on these issues. The 11 articles in Usability and Internationalization of Information Technology range from theory to research to very practical advise. The advantage of such an anthology is that you can choose what is most useful to you at any given moment and come back again and again to delve deeper as your interests grow or change."
    Technical Communication