Preparing for Cultural Differences (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)

1/6/2010

A subtler factor to consider when you are preparing software for international markets is cultural differences. For example, users in the U.S. may recognize a rounded mailbox with a flag on the side as an icon for a mail program, but users in other locales may not recognize this image. Sounds and their associated meanings may also vary from locale to locale.

It is best to review the proposed graphics for international applicability early in your design cycle. Localizing graphics can be a time-consuming process.

Although graphics communicate more universally than text, graphical aspects of your software — especially icons and toolbar button images — may also need to be revised to address an international audience. For example, a toolbar image that includes a magic wand to represent access to a wizard interface does not have meaning in many locales and requires a different image.

When possible, choose generic images and glyphs. Even if you can create custom designs for each language, having different images for different languages can confuse users who work with more than one language version.

Many symbols with a strong meaning in one culture do not have any meaning in another. For example, many symbols for holidays and seasons are not shared around the world. Importantly, some symbols can be offensive in some cultures; for example, the open hand that is commonly used at U.S. crosswalk signals is offensive in some locales. Some metaphors also may not apply in all languages.

See Also

Other Resources

Creating an International User Interface
Internationalizing Software