Aping western design: Is it a solution?
User research has become increasingly popular in India lately with strong penetrating roots of technology in the daily life. Though compared to western countries user research is still in nascent stage here.
One of the common problems our Indian researchers are facing is that we are following foot-step of western. In simple words we are working on problems which are key issues for our western counterparts and not for India.
Sometimes we don’t know what research problems will be useful for India. User experience design as niche as it is, needs attention to detail and extensive knowledge of the local culture and its people.
Designs are no longer created for the look and feel. To measure the factors involved in the conversion process, understanding the technical expertise level and mindset of its user plays a vital role.
One step at a time.
More than simply aping the designs for the interface from the west who are much matured in online space than us, it’s advisable to do a proper research design for Indian market.
A user research done without proper understanding of the online space for a particular country will not give any fruitful results. – Smriti K, Senior UX Designer.
