CHI 2000 Position Paper for Workshop Titled:

Challenges in the Multicultural HCI Development Environment

Elizabeth A. Hohne

AT&T Labs

Room D1-3D28

200 Laurel Avenue

Middletown, NJ 07748 USA

+1 732 420 2884

elizabeth@att.com

Introduction:

The framework and methodology emerging from this workshop will need to blend together the HCI approach with the approach of creating a multilingual application, a single executable that can be run in multiple languages and can handle data in multiple languages.

Given that the workshop organizers are from Sybase, Inc, a company that has one of the most experienced and knowledgeable globalization teams in the computer industry, a large portion of this position paper will focus on the HCI approach.

Position

Multilingual computing has solved the largest overall user experience problems encountered in the creation of a computer system that must meet the needs of many countries. The concept of the multilingual application improved the overall user experience of software by providing a framework and methodology which allows localized versions of software to be produce faster and cheaper.

The next step is to expand existing frameworks and methodologies to accommodate different interaction styles of people in the different locales. When this next step is realized, seamless cultural and linguistic feature integration will be achievable.

The HCI design of an application can be conceptualized into three different layers. The topmost level is the surface design that includes the details of the interface, the language used and specific graphics. The middle layer includes interaction design, the general layout, and overall design concept. The bottom layer relates to the effect of the underlying code on the HCI design (e.g., restrictions on the HCI design due to the underlying technology as is often found with Internet technology today).

Current multilingual computing practices address the topmost level, the surface design. The next challenge is address the middle layer. Exploring two frameworks for HCI design, the Human Information Processing framework and the Ecological Framework will provide a better understanding of the middle layer.

Working within the context of the Human Information Processing framework involves conceptualizing individuals cognitive tasks when interacting with a computer and understanding/representing how knowledge is transmitted between humans and computers. There is a focus on how knowledge is represented, how mental models develop and are used in HCI, and how users learn to interact and become experienced in using computer systems. The result is interface metaphors to match the knowledge requirements of users and conceptual models to help designers develop appropriate interfaces. This is the type of information that is part of the middle layer of an HCI design. However, using metaphors and conceptual models are affected by international concerns. Is it possible to create a meta-metaphor for an internationalized application such that the metaphor that is appropriate for a given locale can be used? It is important to realized that a metaphor includes visual style conventions as well as system response conventions (i.e., interaction style). In order to use metaphors in a globalized application it may be necessary to create interaction style components (pieces of code) that can be specified along with other locale information.

Working with in the context of the Ecological framework requires considering the social organizational and political aspects of HCI design and understanding the setting where users complete their tasks. A central concept to this approach is affordances, what we see as the behavior of the system, object or event. When the affordances of an object are perceptually obvious it is easy for us to know how to interact with it. This type of information is represented in both the middle and surface layers of HCI design.

Recommending a framework and methodology that achieves the next step, to expand existing frameworks and methodologies to accommodate different interaction styles of people in the different locales, should include the exploration of different models of software engineering (e.g., waterfall model, prototyping model, star model) and the different methods for obtaining detailed user/locale information.

Reasons For My Interest In The Topic

This workshop is addressing issues and exploring solutions surrounding topics that I have been wrestling with in my own work. Since there is very little literature specifically addressing some of the cultural and linguistic issues of modular multicultural interaction design and the need to globalize software is exploding, this workshop is both important and timely.

It is my belief that the framework and methodology emerging from this workshop will need to blend together the traditional interdisciplinary HCI approach with the approach of creating a multilingual application.

The HCI approach provides frameworks and methodologies that promote seamless cultural and linguistic feature integration. However, achieving seamless cultural and linguistic feature integration is an ideal that may be hard to realize when creating a multilingual application because seamless integration may require culturally specific executables rather than a single executable.

From an HCI perspective separating the underlying code from locale specific information promotes usability because the surface user facing information can easily be modified and improved with out the need to change the code base. Creating one executable supports iterative design in a way that no other software model does because the user interface designer can modify the user interface with out redevelopment. Consequently, creating a multilingual application is extremely beneficial to a surface level user interface design.

However, since part of the HCI design, the interaction between the user and the system, is controlled by the underlying code base, creating a single executable could restrict locale specific interaction design. As a consequence there could be a negative impact on the overall usability.

The best framework and methodology will optimally blend the traditional interdisciplinary HCI approach with creating a multilingual application in a way that maximizes the flexibility of the HCI design in one executable.

In addition to being a valuable contributor to discussions, it would be fun and educational to discuss with my peers recommendations for a framework for modular multicultural interaction design and recommendations for methodologies for effective multicultural feature integration.

References

del Galdo, E.M. & Nielsen, J. (1996). International User Interfaces. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Hoft, N.L. (1995). International Technical Communication. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Ishida, R. (1999). Designing International User Interfaces. Course material developed by Richard Ishida, Global Design Consultant at the Document company Xerox, Welwyn Garden City, U.K., for the Localization Institute.

ISO/IEC TR 11017:1998 Information technology - Framework for internationalization

O'Donnell, S.M. (1994). Programming for the World. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: PTR Prentice Hall.

Preece, J. (1994). Human Computer Interaction. Harlow, England: Addison-Wesley