Websites Usability and User Interaction Effectiveness (Cultural Dimensions)

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Websites Usability and User Interaction
Effectiveness (Cultural Dimensions)

• Nassib Elkadri
• University of Ottawa

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Outline

• Abstract
• Overview
• The 7 steps Approach for building a successful
  web presence
• User Interface Effectiveness Methodology
• User Experience Testing (Focus on the user, not
  the usability)
• Cultural Dimensions and its effects on User
  Interfaces
• Conclusion

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Abstract

• Despite the advancement of the web technologies,
  finding the right information on websites is no
  longer an easy process and a consolidated
  evaluation methodology for websites does not yet
  exist. The goal of the websites is to offer its
  users the right information and to help them
  acquire knowledge on a subject matter.  However,
  the growth of the number of websites over the
  Internet in ad hoc manner has increased the
  ambiguity and concerns for many users and made it
  difficult for them to browse, search, and
  navigate. The evaluation of websites must
  consider its effectiveness as well as its
  usability. The design of the interface should
  take into account the users behavior so that the
  users' interactions with the websites are as
  natural and intuitive as possible. In this paper,
  we present the results obtained from the
  observation and analysis of the interactions of a
  focused group of users with various websites. The
  paper also illustrates a methodology for
  evaluating websites' effectiveness.

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Overview

• The growth of the number of websites over the
  Internet in ad hoc manner has increased the
  ambiguity and concerns for many users and made it
  difficult for them to browse, search, and
  navigate.
• How many pages exist on the web ? And how many
  Searches done ?
• Google announced that it has more than 8 billion
  pages indexed. While Yahoo says it has over 19,2
  billion pages.
• In 2008, there was 31 billion searches every
  month on Google while this number was 2.7 billion
  in 2006
• What does that mean ?? - the majority of
  the users are searching the web to find what they
  want among this huge number of existing websites.
  But there is no guarantees they are getting what
  they want

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The 7 Steps Approach for building a Successful
Web Presence

• Having a website among this huge number of
  existing websites is a real challenge. Whether
  the website is interactive or simply
  informational, there are steps you can take to
  ensure you're on the right track to creating a
  successful web presence. The steps are
  illustrated below
• Perform Requirements Analysis - What do you want
  to accomplish? How does your website fit into
  your overall business plan? The business plan
  will be a roadmap to success, so make sure the
  objective of your website fits into your overall
  business plan.
• Include the research as a major phase.Research
  the competition and industry sites. See what kind
  of competition exists. Don't look to "reinvent
  the wheel", take a look at how the current market
  works develop a list of pros and cons about your
  competition and then make your web presence work
  better.

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The 7 Steps Approach for building a Successful
Web Presence (Contd)
3. Develop a concept and a design.This involves
the selection of specific content, the layout of
the site structure and navigation and the overall
"look and feel" of your website. The most
important part will be the navigational
structure!!! If visitors can't navigate your
website or feel lost when doing so, your "pretty"
site will have been a waste of time keep the
navigation simple and, for SEO purposes, make
sure your navigation is text based. Although
Flash driven websites look attractive, they are
not Search Engine friendly and can create many
problems 4. Develop your website.When
considering which technology to develop your
website, think cutting edge technology, not
bleeding edge. Make sure the technology you use,
such as ASP, PHP, HTML, CSS, will be useful for
the next few years to come.
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The 7 Steps Approach for building a Successful
Web Presence (Contd)
5. Choose a host provider and implement your
website.When deciding on a host provider, make
sure the host is not only reputable, but has been
long enough in business so that you can be sure
the website will not get down. Otherwise, by
having the website going down, it will not affect
the users only but the search engines as well. If
the search engines decide on a given day to
spider your site and it is unavailable, it could
cost you your rank. 6. Promote and market your
website.Register your site with the major search
engines such as Google and Yahoo. and don't
forget about a long term Search Engine
Optimization campaign to drive targeted traffic
to your site.
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The 7 Steps Approach for building a Successful
Web Presence (Contd)
7. Maintain your website.Probably the most
important long term step is continuing to provide
current and relevant information on your website.
Keep your site content current to encourage
return visitors and give them something to return
for! Related to SEO, search engines just love
sites which provide new content on a regular
basis and rank these websites accordingly.
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What About User Experience ?

• Watching the User Experience is what
  differentiates between different User Interfaces
  Effectiveness.
• We will be discussing in details an effective
  methodology to create powerful user Interfaces
  through user experience methods that depends on
• Usability studies that focus on the user, not on
  the usability
• Considering the cultural dimensions of the users.

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The Users are Speaking, Can you hear them ?

• Web Analytics It is the process of tracking the
  website visitors behaviour and their
  preferences. By doing so, we will be able to tell
  what are the user interests in our website and
  what annoys them and how they interact with the
  website. The information gathered will help in
  creating key performance indicators (KPIs) to
  help improve the usability and the interactivity
  of the website.

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User Interface Effectiveness Methodology

• Universal Design It is defined as the skilful
  organization of all elements inherent in a
  project or plan in relation to the intention to
  make the outcome accessible to everyone.
  Universal design is the principle that guides the
  process to integrate all elements required to
  ensure facilities, technology, information,
  programs, products, and services meet the diverse
  requirements of today's society.
• Universal design of web sites has two major
  components
• The design is flexible enough to be usable by
  people with the widest possible range of
  abilities and communication preferences
• The design can operate within the widest possible
  range of situations (environments, conditions and
  circumstances).

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Focus on the User, Not the Usability

• Usability is related to the individuals
  subjective experience. Usability as a discipline
  focuses on use not the user.
• Many usability professionals have now moved
  their core philosophy and appear to focus on
  User Centered Design (USD).
• Usability focuses on improving the tools we use
  and compensated users for participating in
  studies, thus providing the intrinsic motivation
  to help management create more efficient systems.
• Users evaluate the level of empathy you display
  for their wants, needs, and desires. Usability is
  based on the physiological and psychological
  principle that only an individual principle can
  explain.
• Next Dont make me think Usability Approach

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Is the Usability Evaluation Enough ?

• If users perceive you as empathetic they will
  continue to navigate your website despite the
  usability faults they experience.
• Am I saying we shouldnt remove the faults ? Off
  course not !!
• However the website being usable cant
  overcome an inability to meet the motivation and
  desire of users.
• Listen to the users and consider their cultural
  dimensions.

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Cultural Dimensions Global Web Design

• The Web enables global distribution of 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." The
  user-interface development process focuses
  attention on understanding users and
  acknowledging demographic diversity. But in a
  global economy, these differences may reflect
  world-wide cultures. Websites that are addressed
  to global visitors on the web should consider the
  impact of culture on the understanding and use of
  Web-based communication, content, and tools.

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Cultural Dimensions Global Web Design (Contd)

• A few simple questions illustrate the depth of
  the problem. Consider your favorite Website. How
  might this Website be understood and used in New
  York, Paris, London, Beijing, New Delhi, or
  Tokyo, assuming that adequate verbal translation
  were accomplished ? Might something in its
  metaphors, mental model, navigation, interaction,
  or appearance confuse, or even offend and
  alienate, a user?
• Edward T. Hall, David Victor, and Fons
  Trompenaars would have been equally valuable in
  illuminating the problems of cross-cultural
  communication on the Web, but our approach will
  demonstrate the value of this body of research
  for the Web User Interface Design.

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Cultural Dimensions Global Web Design (Contd)

• Hofstede identified five dimensions and rated 53
  countries on indices for each dimension,
  normalized to values (usually) of 0 to 100. His
  five dimensions of culture are the following
• Power-distance
• Collectivism vs. individualism
• Femininity vs. masculinity
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Long- vs. short-term orientation
• Each of Hofstede's terms appears below with our
  explanation of implications for user-interface
  and Web design, and illustrations of
  characteristic Websites.

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Cultural Dimensions - Power Distance (1)

• Power distance refers to the extent to which less
  powerful members expect and accept unequal power
  distribution within a culture. Hofstede claims
  that high PD countries tend to have centralized
  political power and exhibit tall hierarchies in
  organizations with large differences in salary
  and status. Subordinates may view the "boss" as a
  benevolent dictator and are expected to do as
  they are told. Parents teach obedience, and
  expect respect. Teachers possess wisdom and are
  automatically esteemed. Inequalities are
  expected.
• Low PD countries tend to view subordinates and
  supervisors as closer together and more
  interchangeable, with flatter hierarchies in
  organizations and less difference in salaries and
  status. Parents and children, and teachers and
  students, may view themselves more as equals (but
  not necessarily as identical.) Equality is
  expected and generally desired. There are some
  interesting correlations for power distance low
  PD countries tend to have higher geographic
  latitude, smaller populations, and/or higher
  gross domestic product (GDP) per capita than high
  PD countries.

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Cultural Dimensions - Power Distance (2)

• Based on this definition, we believe power
  distance may influence the following aspects of
  user-interface and Web design
• Access to information highly (high PD) vs.
  less-highly (low PD) structured.
• Hierarchies in mental models tall vs. shallow.
• Emphasis on the social and moral order (e.g.,
  nationalism or religion) and its symbols
  significant/frequent vs. minor/infrequent use.
• Focus on expertise, authority, experts,
  certifications, official stamps, or logos strong
  vs. weak.
• Prominence given to leaders vs. citizens,
  customers, or employees.
• Importance of security and restrictions or
  barriers to access explicit, enforced, frequent
  restrictions on users vs. transparent,
  integrated, implicit freedom to roam.
• Social roles used to organize information (e.g.,
  a managers section obvious to all but sealed off
  from non-managers) frequent vs.infrequent

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Cultural Dimensions - Power Distance (3)
Low power distance Dutch Educational Website
High power distance Malaysian University Web
site
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Cultural Dimensions - Individualism vs.
Collectivism (1)

• Individualistic cultures value personal time,
  freedom, challenge, and such extrinsic motivators
  as material rewards at work.
• Collectivist cultures value training, physical
  conditions, skills, and the intrinsic rewards of
  mastery.
• Based on this definition, we believe
  individualism and collectivism may influence the
  following aspects of user-interface and Web
  design

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Cultural Dimensions - Individualism vs.
Collectivism (2)

• Motivation based on personal achievement
  maximized (expect the extra-ordinary) for
  individualist cultures vs. underplayed (in favor
  of group achievement) for collectivist cultures.
• Images of success demonstrated through
  materialism and consumerism vs. achievement of
  social-political agendas.
• Rhetorical style controversial/argumentative
  speech and tolerance or encouragement of extreme
  claims vs. official slogans and
• subdued hyperbole and controversy
• Prominence given youth and action vs. aged,
  experienced, wise leaders and states of being
• Importance given individuals vs. products shown
  by themselves or with groups
• Emphasis on change what is new and unique vs.
  tradition and history

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Cultural Dimensions - Individualism vs.
Collectivism (3)
Low individualist value Costa Rican National
Park website
High individualist value US National Park
Website
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Cultural Dimensions - Masculinity vs. Femininity
(1)

• Masculinity and femininity refer to gender roles,
  not physical characteristics.
• In masculine cultures, the traditional
  distinctions are strongly maintained, while
  feminine cultures tend to collapse the
  distinctions and overlap gender roles (both men
  and women can exhibit modesty, tenderness, and a
  concern with both quality of life and material
  success.)

• The following list shows some typical MAS index
  values, where a high value implies a strongly
  masculine culture
• 95 Japan
• 79 Austria
• 62 USA
• 53 Arab countries
• 43 France
• 14 Netherlands
• 05 Sweden

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Cultural Dimensions - Masculinity vs. Femininity
(2)

• Since Hofstedes definition focuses on the
  balance between roles and relationships, we
  believe masculinity and femininity may be
  expressed on the Web through different emphases.
  High-masculinity cultures would focus on the
  following user-interface and design elements
• Traditional gender/family/age distinctions
• Work tasks, roles, and mastery, with quick
  results for limited tasks
• Navigation oriented to exploration and control
• Attention gained through games and competitions
• Graphics, sound, and animation used for
  utilitarian purposes
• Feminine cultures would emphasize the following
• Blurring of gender roles
• Mutual cooperation, exchange, and relational
  support Attention gained through visual
  aesthetics and appeals to unifying values

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Cultural Dimensions - Masculinity vs. Femininity
(3)
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
High masculinity Website Excite website for
women in Japan
Low masculinity Website Swedish Excite website
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Cultural Dimensions - Uncertainty Avoidance (1)
Cultures with high uncertainty tend to be
expressive people talk with their hands, raise
their voices, and show emotions. People seem
active, emotional, even aggressive shun
ambiguous situations. By contrast, low UA
cultures tend to be less expressive and less
openly anxious people behave quietly without
showing aggression or strong emotions.
Based on this definition, we believe uncertainty
avoidance may influence contrary aspects of
user-interface and Web design.
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Cultural Dimensions - Uncertainty Avoidance (2)

• High-UA cultures would emphasize the following
• Simplicity, with clear metaphors, limited
  choices, and restricted amounts of data
• Attempts to reveal or forecast the results or
  implications of actions before users act
• Navigation schemes intended to prevent users from
  becoming lost
• Mental models and help systems that focus on
  reducing "user errors
• Redundant cues (color, typography, sound, etc.)
  to reduce ambiguity.

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Cultural Dimensions - Uncertainty Avoidance (3)

• Low UA cultures would emphasize the reverse
• Complexity with maximal content and choices
• Acceptance (even encouragement) of wandering and
  risk, with a stigma on over-protection
• Less control of navigation for example, links
  might open new windows leading away from the
  original location.
• Mental models and help systems might focus on
  understanding underlying concepts rather than
  narrow tasks
• Coding of color, typography, and sound to
  maximize information (multiple links without
  redundant cueing.)

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Cultural Dimensions - Uncertainty Avoidance (4)
High uncertainty avoidance Sabema Airlines
Website from Belgium.
Low uncertainty avoidance British Airways
Website from United Kingdom.
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Cultural Dimensions - Long- vs. Short-Term Time
Orientation (1)

• Long-Term Orientation seemed to play an important
  role in Asian countries that had been influenced
  by Confucian philosophy over many thousands of
  years. They concluded that Asian countries are
  oriented to practice and the search for virtuous
  behavior while Western countries are oriented to
  belief and the search for truth.

• Of the 23 countries compared, the following
  showed the most extreme values
• 118 China (ranked 1)
• 80 Japan (4)
• 29 USA (17)
• 0 Pakistan (23)

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Cultural Dimensions - Long- vs. Short-Term Time
Orientation (2)

• Based on this definition, we believe high LTO
  countries would emphasize the following aspects
  of user-interface design
• Content focused on practice and practical value
• Relationships as a source of information and
  credibility
• Patience in achieving results and goals
• Low LTO countries would emphasize the contrary
• Content focused on truth and certainty of beliefs
• Rules as a source of information and credibility
• Desire for immediate results and achievement of
  goals

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Cultural Dimensions - Long- vs. Short-Term Time
Orientation (3)
Low Long-term orientation Website form Siemens
Germany
High Long-Term Orientation. Website from Siemens
in China.
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Conclusion and Future Research

• This study of web effectiveness in terms of user
  experience usability and cultural dimensions
  raises many issues about UI design. We have
  explored a number of design differences through
  sample websites but other, more strategic
  questions remain. In crafting Websites and Web
  applications, the questions can be narrow or
  broad
• How formal or rewarding should interaction be?
• What will motivate different groups of people?
  Money? Fame? Honor? Achievement?
• How much conflict can people tolerate in content
  or style of argumentation?
• Should sincerity, harmony, or honesty be used to
  make appeals?
• What role exists for personal opinion vs. group
  opinion?
• How well are ambiguity and uncertainty avoidance
  received?
• Will shame or guilt constrain negative behaviour?
• What role should community values play in
  individualist vs collectivist cultures

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References

• The list of books, journals, and publications
  used in this research study are available in the
  notes sections or Upon Request.