Organize global websites Euro IA Summit 2007 Barcelona http://petervandijck.com http://poorbuthappy.com/ease/

The ‘planes’ of Global IA? Strategy Overall structure Messy Details Underlying Philosophies Locales? Audiences? Ownership? Overall structure Content Translation Workflow? Navigation Taxonomies Think global act local Local content? Alphabetical ordering Folksonomies Local vs. central control Culturally appropriate?

Strategy

Overall structure

Messy Details

Underlying Philosophies

High level site structure

Overall structure Translate the UI Social networks (Myspace, Flickr, …) Simple brochuresites. Templated site. Intranets Product companies (Dell, …) Separate sites: Marketplaces (eBay, Craigslist, Amazon)

Translate the UI

Social networks (Myspace, Flickr, …)

Simple brochuresites.

Templated site.

Intranets

Product companies (Dell, …)

Separate sites:

Marketplaces (eBay, Craigslist, Amazon)

Overall structure Translate the UI Social networks (Myspace, Flickr, …) Simple brochuresites. Templated site. Intranets Product companies (Dell, …) Separate sites: Marketplaces (eBay, Craigslist, Amazon) UI translated. Content is the same (either all translated or not, for user generated content). Central templates with local adjustments. UI can diverge over time. Content is local. Categories can be different.

Translate the UI

Social networks (Myspace, Flickr, …)

Simple brochuresites.

Templated site.

Intranets

Product companies (Dell, …)

Separate sites:

Marketplaces (eBay, Craigslist, Amazon)

UI translated. Content is the same (either all translated or not, for user generated content).

Central templates with local adjustments.

UI can diverge over time. Content is local. Categories can be different.

Get Messy .

Mix local sites When user needs to move between locales. Site B Site A

When user needs to move between locales.

Global gateway

Mix content. When content HAS to be available, but isn’t always translated. When users that speak different languages are brought together. Content Site B Content Site A

When content HAS to be available, but isn’t always translated.

When users that speak different languages are brought together.

Conclusion No easy to use model for this messyness (yet).

No easy to use model for this messyness (yet).

Alphabetical ordering

Alphabetical order Alphabetical languages. Non alphabetical languages. Collation. Unknown or mixed languages.

Alphabetical languages.

Non alphabetical languages.

Collation.

Unknown or mixed languages.

Taxonomies are cultural

Categories are cultural Why? Society: laws, commerce, culture, politics, … Different stuff : Some categories have to be turned into a sentence to translate them. Berufsverbot Condo SUV Different slicing and dicing : Name the continents? Chowder soup. Different scope . “ public schools” in UK or USA.

Why? Society: laws, commerce, culture, politics, …

Different stuff : Some categories have to be turned into a sentence to translate them.

Berufsverbot

Condo

SUV

Different slicing and dicing :

Name the continents?

Chowder soup.

Different scope .

“ public schools” in UK or USA.

The continents Seven Continents : Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America. Seven Continents : Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Australia, South America. (in USA) Six Continents : Africa, Antarctica, Oceania, Eurasia, North America, and South America. Six Continents: Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Five Continents : Africa, America, Oceania, Antarctica, Eurasia. Five Continents : Africa, America, Oceania, Europe, Asia. (in Europe and South America) Four Continents : America, Oceania, Antarctica, Eurafrasia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continents

Seven Continents : Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America.

Seven Continents : Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Australia, South America. (in USA)

Six Continents : Africa, Antarctica, Oceania, Eurasia, North America, and South America.

Six Continents: Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Oceania, and Europe.

Five Continents : Africa, America, Oceania, Antarctica, Eurasia.

Five Continents : Africa, America, Oceania, Europe, Asia. (in Europe and South America)

Four Continents : America, Oceania, Antarctica, Eurafrasia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continents

Categories are cultural

Dewey Decimal System 210 Natural theology 220 Bible 230 Christian Theology 240 Christian moral & devotional theology 250 Christian orders & local churches 260 Christian social theology 270 Christian church history 280 Christian denominations & sects 290 Other and comparative religions

210 Natural theology

220 Bible

230 Christian Theology

240 Christian moral & devotional theology

250 Christian orders & local churches

260 Christian social theology

270 Christian church history

280 Christian denominations & sects

290 Other and comparative religions

Dewey vs. the Maori

Recap How we organize the world is local. Sometimes you can translate a taxonomy, but only if the content is globally the same, because taxonomies depend on content. Most of the time it makes sense to adjust taxonomies for each locale.

How we organize the world is local.

Sometimes you can translate a taxonomy, but only if the content is globally the same, because taxonomies depend on content.

Most of the time it makes sense to adjust taxonomies for each locale.

Translating taxonomies

1. Semantic overlap girl fille niña GIRL: A female child. An immature or inexperienced woman, especially a young woman. A daughter: our youngest girl. Informal. A grown woman: a night out with the girls. A female who comes from or belongs to a particular place: a city girl. Offensive. A female servant, such as a maid. A female sweetheart: cadets escorting their girls to the ball. Very few words match up exactly between two languages. Context is needed to clarify. Girl = niña, chica, joven or hija.

2. Differences in granularity Germans don’t have a word for skidding, but they do have two words, Rutschen and Schleudern, for skidding forwards and skidding sideways. skidding Skidding sideways Skidding forwards n/a rutschen schleudern

Germans don’t have a word for skidding, but they do have two words, Rutschen and Schleudern, for skidding forwards and skidding sideways.

3. Differences in hierarchy French hierarchy: Betail > gros betail > boeuf English hierarchy: livestock > — > cattle betail Gros betail boeuf livestock n/a cattle banana n/a n/a platano platano banana

French hierarchy: Betail > gros betail > boeuf English hierarchy: livestock > — > cattle

Conclusion Mostly: No 1-on-1 translation. Translated taxonomies need scope notes. Except in technical taxonomies where everyone agrees on categories worldwide.

Mostly:

No 1-on-1 translation.

Translated taxonomies need scope notes.

Except in technical taxonomies where everyone agrees on categories worldwide.

Underlying philosophies

Think global, act local. Iceland sorts by given name: Björk Guðmundsdóttir Korea likes animations.

Iceland sorts by given name: Björk Guðmundsdóttir

Korea likes animations.

Organization is local Content is different locally. User needs are different locally. Categories are different locally.

Content is different locally.

User needs are different locally.

Categories are different locally.

Centralization and control Standardization is one response, but generates tensions and workarounds. “ The tension between locales remains, and this tension is not something to be avoided or deleted.” - Susan Leigh Star

Standardization is one response, but generates tensions and workarounds.

“ The tension between locales remains, and this tension is not something to be avoided or deleted.” - Susan Leigh Star

Thank you. http://petervandijck.com http://poorbuthappy.com/ease/