Usability and Internationalization of Information Technology

Today, more and more Web sites are providing content in multiple languages for targeted countries, and more and more products are being designed for cultural differences in mind. However, the concept of cross-cultural design has not yet become a strong force in the practitioners' and educators' agenda. This book looks at techniques, software, tools, the current state of the art, and future directions that one needs to understand for a successful application of cross-cultural interface design. Usability and Internationalization of Information Technology provides a bridge between theoretical foundations and practical examples, as well as guidelines for designing information technology for different cultures, languages, and locales. Written by some of the foremost practitioners from the United States, Europe, and Asia, the book is organized into three sections. It begins with a general introduction to the topic and discusses cultural considerations. Part II focuses on some aspects of design, cost justification and international usability evaluations. Part III covers three case studies on international user interface design. An appendix is included at the end of the book, providing a list of books and magazines published in the area of internationalization in the user interface design, project management, software design and development fields, as well as valuable resources, the leading journals, and the non-profit organizations that deal with internationalization.