Cross‐cultural issues in user learning and the design of digital interfaces

Hall (1976) believes that culture is a selective screen through which we see the world and that the basic differences in the way members from different cultures perceive reality are responsible for the mis‐communications of the most fundamental kind. Hofstede (1997) notes that cultural orientations are deeply embedded in cultures over hundreds and thousands of years and modern media have not dislodged these cultural orientations. Indeed, cultural norms, assumptions, values, and orientations remain crucial for understanding people from various cultures. This understanding extends to designing a variety of information retrieval systems for international access and use, including Web‐based digital libraries. Since the Web is international in nature, Web design should embed ‘cultural attractors” (e.g., colors, metaphors, language cues, navigation controls, and other visual elements) that should create the’ look and feel” to match the cultural expectations of the users of a local culture (Smith, et al. , 2004). The speakers will address the various roles culture plays in the design and use of system interfaces, in general, and of digital libraries in particular. They will present analyses from their current research findings on culture and its impact on information seeking, interface design, and digital library development. They will discuss methods of bridging the gap between various cultures through both providing effective user‐centered system design and educating information professionals.