A conceptual framework to support cross-cultural user experience design for web search

Abstract

There has been a great deal of research carried out regarding the need for websites and applications to be localised, in order to meet cross cultural requirements. The term localisation in this case, refers to tailoring the user experience (UX), mainly by, but not exclusively limited to, the user experience both affective and cognitively. This research critically examines the gap between cross cultural website design on one hand and search engine user interface design on the other. With the main purpose and motivation of the research being to integrate existing cultural models and taxonomies, such as the cultural model by the Dutch Anthropologist, Geert Hofstede, with semiotics in order to offer a conceptual framework. This conceptual framework, coined as the Cross Cultural Semiotic Framework (CCSF), represents the major contribution of this Thesis to the extant literature. The CCSF is intended for use in the design of cross cultural web search engine user interfaces. The three extensive user studies carried out herein, serve to validate the Cross Cultural Semiotic Framework. The user studies are conducted via an on-line survey platform comprising multiple part questionnaires. A minor supportive empirical contribution offered herein comprises an analysis of E-portal surface level iconography. This has been systematically de-constructed using a cross cultural analytic paradigm. The derived taxonomy of signs seeks to extend Geert Hofstede's (2010) cultural models and the conception of his six cultural dimensions, so offers a novel minor contribution to both the user experience and existing cross cultural literature. The questionnaires when analysed, offer an interesting insight into the application of Hofstede's (2010), six cultural dimensions and shows adequate evidence has been found to indicate Hofstede's cultural model, together with the semiotic insights of Peirce (1960), can be used to inform the design of web search engine user interfaces and therefore, the proof of concept for this conceptual framework.

Date of Award	Jan 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bedfordshire
Supervisor	Haiming Liu (Supervisor) & Marc Conrad (Second supervisor)