1. Cross
Cultural
UX
Research
–
Best
prac3ces
for
Interna3onal
Insights
June
2013
Chris
Rourke
User
Vision
@crourke
@uservision

2. Outline
• Why
do
interna-onal
UX
research
• Types
of
interna-onal
research
• A
Case
Study
:
Interna-onal
remote
research
• How
to
make
your
interna-onal
research
projects
a
success

3. Why do International UX research?
• We live in a big, varied world
• Language & translation
• Technology use varies
• Its fun

4. Ways to Research UX Internationally
1. Do remote research
2. Visit the foreign country
3. Hire a local UX consultant
4. Team from your local office
runs research

5. Remote research
• Saves time and
expense
• Moderated,
unmoderated
• There are limits
– Context of use
– Technology to support

6. Bri3sh
Council
Schools
Online
• Promotes
cross
cultural
sharing
of
educa-onal
resources
• Link
schools
worldwide
for
fun,
friendship
and
shared
learning.
• Resources
and
project
templates
to
use
in
partnership

7. Edinburgh,
London
Mexico
Brazil
Nigeria
Egypt
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Indonesia

8. Challenges
• If
you
had
this
project,
what
challenges
you
would
expect?

9. Factors
for
success
-­‐
Partners
• Carefully
select
recruitment
partners
– Previous
experience
– Challenges
that
they
foresee
– Procedures
and
back
ups
for
no-­‐shows
• Consolidate
recruitment
partners
– 1
recruiter
for
3
different
countries
– Recruiters
handled
the
incen-ves

10. Factors
for
success
–
Be
organised
• Be
aware
of
-me
zones,
weekends
• Categorise
emails

11. Factors
for
success
• Minimise
the
technical
risks
– Respondents
at
a
single
loca-on
– Recruiter
and
laptop
goes
to
respondent
• Beware
of
language
limita-ons
– Simple,
clear
instruc-ons

12. Interna3onal
Research
-­‐
Choose
your
methods
Rachel
Hinman’s
presenta-on
on
Mobile
UX
Essen-als
Balance
of
immersive
techniques
for
deep
insights
with
remote
ones
for
geographical
reach

13. Performing
UX
Research
Abroad
• Set
your
expecta-ons
– Takes
more
-me
– Is
more
expensive
– Has
many
logis-cal
complica-ons
– Can
be
exhaus-ng
• Expect
to
get
less
done
in
a
research
session
– More
chat
about
weather
etc
before
tes-ng
• Par-cipants
may
not
have
a
tradi-on
of
punctuality
• Be
aware
of
local
customs
and
culture

14. Be
culturally
sensi3ve
• In
Arab
countries
– Ramadan
– Prayer
-mes
– Shaking
hands
– Soles
showing

15. Plan & document test preparations
• Especially
if
distributed
teams
• Research
plan
&
objec-ves
• Modera-on
guide
• Research
materials
(s-muli)
• Data
Recording
sheet
• Template
report
• Full
contact
sheet
for
consultants,
partners,
translators,
client
contact
other
suppliers

16. Language
–
The
devil’s
in
the
detail
• People
in
different
countries
and
loca-ons
can
perceive
the
same
words
differently
– Translate
test
materials
both
ways
– Moderate
in
local
language,
na-ve
speaker
– Understand
any
local
varia-ons,
slang
– Consider
simultaneous
transla-on

17. Researching
abroad
• Use
Cross-­‐cultural
research
team
• Understand
context
of
where
you
are
researching
– Arrive
early,
observe,
learn
local
news,
events
– All
of
your
-me
in-­‐country
is
part
of
your
research
• Recrui-ng
– What
is
a
“local”?
What
is
their
language?
– Recruitment
partner
–
choose
carefully
– Adapt
sampling
strategies
– UK
“Screening”
may
not
make
sense,

18. Moderate your Moderation
• More
rapport
-me ,
be
pa-ent
• Put
par-cipants
at
ease
– Appropriate
dress
– “Hello”
and
“Thank
you”
in
local
language
– Show
interest
in
their
culture,
local
events
• Note taking minimal
• Video recording - optional

19. Contextual
/
ethnographic
Research
• Purely
observa-onal
• Provide
cameras
to
par-cipants,
they
take
photos
of
their
environment
• Artefact
walkthroughs
• Demonstra-ons,
par-cipatory

20. Interna3onal
Research
-­‐
logis3cs
• Keep
an
eye
on
the
-me
– www.-meanddate.com
• Transpor-ng
equipment
&
data
– Interna-onal
Customs
– Use
the
cloud
for
backup
• Pilot
test
at
home
first
– Interna-onal
audience
in
the
UK
– Use
bandwidth
shaper
– Replicate
OS,
browser,
resolu-on
etc

21. One
team
or
several
partners?
Same
team
does
all
visits
• Perhaps
with
translator
• More
consistent
• More
-me
• More
travel
Different
teams
work
in
parallel
• Pre-­‐test
preps
cri-cal
• Quicker
fieldwork
• Beware
transla-on
issues
• Careful
analysis
needed

22. Who does International Research?
• Cross
disciplined
teams
• Experienced
Researcher
• The
right
abtude
-­‐
curious
• Enjoy
cross-­‐cultural
experiences

23. Learn more
Thank
You!
Chris
Rourke
@crourke
User
Vision
@uservision