The document summarizes literature on the role of culture in user interface design. It discusses two approaches - localized design for homogeneous cultures and internationalized design for diverse cultures. However, it notes these approaches may not fully address the needs of international students who are immersed in both their home and host cultures. The document proposes investigating whether a hybrid design approach combining local and international principles could better serve international students' personal and academic needs.

1. The Role of Culture in User Interface Design: A Focus on
International Students
Doaa Elrayes
Human Computer Interaction Department, Carleton University
doaamelrayes@gmail.com
Paper summarizing:
My review of the research literature
on the role of culture in user interface design
suggests that this literature aims at
developing user interface design principles
for two distinct populations. The first
population, which is localized in nature, has
homogenous culture that shares common
values, attitudes, and behavioural patterns.
The second, which is international in nature,
has diverse cultures.
These papers are as following:
1. Immigration, acculturation and
adaptation by Berry, J (1997).
2. Theorizing identity in transnational
and diaspora cultures: A critical approach to
acculturation. By Bhatia, S. & Ram, A.
(2009).
3. Cartography of Diaspora: Contesting
Identities by Brah, A (1996).
4. Cultural similarities and differences
in the design of university websites by
Callahan, E. (2005).
5. The Silent Language by Hall, E.
(1959).
6. Virtual design of multiengineering
electronics systems by Kerttula, M. &
Tokkonen, T. (2001).
7. What Is Culture? Toward Common
Understandings by Löfstrom, A. (2010).
8. Human Communications Issues in
Advanced UIs by Marcus, A. (1993).
9. Cultural Dimensions and Global
Web Design:What? So What? Now What?
By Marcus, A., & Gould, E.V. (2001).
10. Strategies for Increasing
International Enrolment at Carleton

2. University: a Discussion Paper by Office of
the Provost and Vice-President (2010).
Why these papers are relevant to the topic:
User interface design is one of the
most important areas in the field of Human
Computer Interaction. In response to
heightened technological competition and the
increasing similarity between competitors’
offerings, IT companies shifted their focus to
user interface design and usability, which
accounts for more than 50 percent of all
software code (Kerttula & Tokkonen, 2001).
User culture is established as one of
the most important influencing factors in user
interface design (Löfstrom, 2010; Marcus,
1993). Culture, is defined as common values,
attitudes, and behavioural patterns shared by
a group of people (Hall, 1959). These
common features influence how people
behave when interacting with computers.
Culture influences the design methods
employed in building interfaces, In the case
of the Web, good user interface enables
global distribution of products and services
through Internet Websites, intranets, and
extranets. Professional analysts and designers
generally agree that well-designed user
interfaces improve the performance and
appeal of the Web, helping to convert
"tourists" or "browsers" to "residents" and
"customers" (Löfstrom, 2010). Löfstrom
asserts that the user-interface development
process focuses attention on understanding
users and acknowledging demographic
diversity as well as metaphors, mental
models, interaction, and appearance.
Differences in users’ culture can lead
to different product design, as established in
transnational marketing research (e.g.,
Albers-Miller & Gelb, 1996; Cutler &
Javalgi, 1992), in order to discover the most
effective advertising methods and strategies
to target people in different countries
(Callahan, 2005). Marcus & Gould (2001)
use an illustrative example that understanding
a website in diverse cultural contexts (e.g.

3. New York, Paris, London, Beijing, New
Delhi, or Tokyo), assuming that adequate
verbal translation were accomplished, can be
difficult. On the least something in its
metaphors, mental model, navigation,
interaction, or appearance might confuse, or
even offend and alienate, a user. As such,
there have been two major approaches to user
interface design when considering the
influence of culture. The first approach
emphasizes localized design for a population
that shares common cultural values, attitudes,
and behaviors. The second emphasizes
internationalized design for a population with
diverse cultures.
The areas that these papers do not cover:
These papers with what it offers of single
approach of designing the user interface
(Localized Vs. Lnternationalized) lacks to
serve the International student’s diaspora that
have recently grown to be an important target
market especially for Canadian Universities
as a lucrative source of revenue and also as a
means for enriching international relations
and country branding. Carleton University,
for example, has been quite successful in
attracting international students with about
10% of the undergraduate and 18% of the
graduate student populations being
international students” (Office of the Provost
and Vice-President Academic, 2010). As
international students’ personal and academic
life depend to a considerable extent on the
internet in connecting with family and friends
and also in receiving a plethora of academic
services, user and web interface design
becomes of great importance to this
population. Facilitating effective access to
web services through proper user interface
design can help international students
overcoming their academic and social
challenges in the host culture, which can
directly lead to enhanced academic
performance and decreased dropout rates.
The unique cultural characteristics of
international students studying in Canada call

4. to question the adequacy of the “localized”
and/or “internationalized” frameworks alone
for user interface design of web services
targeting this population. Building on the
“integration” strategy of acculturation (Berry
& Sam, 1997; Bhatia & Ram, 2009),
international students are likely immersed in
both a local and international contexts. The
local context, represented by the culture of
the host country (Canada for my example), is
important for international students as its
culture is the key conduit for local
relationships and knowledge which are
necessary for enhancing personal and
academic life. On the other hand, the
individual cultural context is also important
for international students as a means to
associate with hemophilic groups as a source
of social stability in the new and often
challenging culture.
Questions that would be worth
investigating:
This calls for 2 main research questions that
would be worth investigating in this paper:
Frist: IS a hybrid of international and local
user interface design principles is more
appropriate for international students in
Canada than either one of the two
approaches?
This quest will try to either approve or
disapprove for a new set of guidelines that
could be considered a hybrid between the two
design approaches ( localized and
internationalized) user interface design
guidelines which could fit the diaspora in
general and international students in
particular. Second: How the hybrid design
approach might be useful for the international
students Personal and Academic Gains?
This question will try to answer if a hybrid
user interface design will better enhance
international students’ personal gains as well
as academic gains in the host country, which
will lead to greater adoption. Personal Gains

5. may include developing personal
relationships with same-culture individuals,
learning about same-culture events, and
learning about same-culture life style such as
restaurants, etc. On the other hand, Academic
Gains may include identifying study groups
or sources of academic information and
knowledge, getting help with school work,
etc. Finally, Likelihood of Adoption refers to
the willingness of the user to frequently using
the user interface.

6. References:
Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration,
acculturation and adaptation. Applied
Psychology, 46, 5–68
Bhatia, S. & Ram, A. (2009). “Theorizing
identity in transnational and diaspora
cultures: A critical approach to
acculturation.” International journal of
intercultural relations. vol:33 issue 2 pg:140
-149.
Brah, A. “Cartography of Diaspora:
Contesting Identities.” Psychology Press,
1996
Callahan, E. (2005). Cultural similarities and
differences in the design of university
websites. Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication, article 12.
Hall, E. (1959). The Silent Language,
Doubleday, New York.
Kerttula, M. & Tokkonen, T. (2001). Virtual
design of multiengineering electronics
systems. IEEE Computer. 34(11), pp 71-79.
Löfstrom, A. (2010). What Is Culture?
Toward Common Understandings.
International Federation for Information
Processing, 133-141.
Marcus, A. (1993). Human Communications
Issues in Advanced UIs. Communications of
the ACM. pp. 101-109.
Marcus, A., & Gould, E.V. (2001). Cultural
Dimensions and Global Web Design:What?
So What? Now What? AM+A.
Office of the Provost and Vice-President
(2010) “Strategies for Increasing
International Enrolment at Carleton
University: a Discussion Paper. “Carleton
University Office of the Provost and Vice-
President”

7. References:
Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration,
acculturation and adaptation. Applied
Psychology, 46, 5–68
Bhatia, S. & Ram, A. (2009). “Theorizing
identity in transnational and diaspora
cultures: A critical approach to
acculturation.” International journal of
intercultural relations. vol:33 issue 2 pg:140
-149.
Brah, A. “Cartography of Diaspora:
Contesting Identities.” Psychology Press,
1996
Callahan, E. (2005). Cultural similarities and
differences in the design of university
websites. Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication, article 12.
Hall, E. (1959). The Silent Language,
Doubleday, New York.
Kerttula, M. & Tokkonen, T. (2001). Virtual
design of multiengineering electronics
systems. IEEE Computer. 34(11), pp 71-79.
Löfstrom, A. (2010). What Is Culture?
Toward Common Understandings.
International Federation for Information
Processing, 133-141.
Marcus, A. (1993). Human Communications
Issues in Advanced UIs. Communications of
the ACM. pp. 101-109.
Marcus, A., & Gould, E.V. (2001). Cultural
Dimensions and Global Web Design:What?
So What? Now What? AM+A.
Office of the Provost and Vice-President
(2010) “Strategies for Increasing
International Enrolment at Carleton
University: a Discussion Paper. “Carleton
University Office of the Provost and Vice-
President”