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Cultural Adaptation Insights for Expats

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16 views10 pages

Cultural Adaptation Insights for Expats

Uploaded by

summitgamerzcare
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Appendix A- Primary Research

1. Interview with the client (Understanding the Possibility of a Problem):


i. Where are you from, and how long have you been living in your current country?
→ I am an American Citizen from the territory of Puerto Rico. I have been living in India for 22 years. I
came here when I was 12.
ii. What are the cultural differences between where you are staying now, in India, and from where you
originally are, the United States?
→Here is there is more family closeness. Everyone is closer knit, and you have a big family feel with
everyone you interact with. Large families also stay together, as opposed to nuclear, smaller families.
iii. What challenges did cultural differences in India pose when you first moved here?
→There was an initial cultural shock- a whiplash because of how different the two countries were. A
concept that I saw for the first time which I wasn’t used to was the placement of cows in Indian society-
there are cows everywhere, even on the roads, which I wasn’t used to. There are also large crowds of
people everywhere, and it took me time to get used to the sheer enormity of people on the roads and in
public places. Another funny difference was in the types of brooms- we had very different cleaning
supplies in the US. Apart from that, I was, and still am, constantly treated like a foreigner. People
expect me not to know things, and tend to over-explain or over-simplify minute things in everyday life.
This can be annoying for some people, but I’ve grown to not mind it as much.
iv. How have you adapted to these cultural differences?
→Just walking around and familiarizing the situation helped me get used to my new surroundings.
v. Your wife is Indian. What differences do you have in terms of practices, traditions, and culture?
→ When I first met her, she was more conservative, in terms of the clothing she wore, and aspects of
travelling and commuting alone. At the time I thought it was conservative, but I’ve come to understand
that it was a safety requirement.
vi. What have you learned from living with an Indian resident?
→I have learned to be more safety-minded. There are many people here around you, and I’ve learnt not
to be casual about unsafe situations, such as being alone in the dark.
vii. What cultural practices could have been explained better to you?
→ Some things I didn’t know were that shoes need to be taken off in certain situations, and that there is
a proper way of greeting elders- one can’t stand with their hands in their pockets, you have to touch
their feet, or fold your hands and say “namaste”.

2. Interview with the client (Understanding the Problem in Detail):


i. How did not knowing the unsaid customs make you feel?
→Not knowing the customs of the place made me feel nervous, and less confident. Everyone wants to
be accepted, and part of a group, and not knowing everything that was going on was stressful.
ii. Could you please elaborate upon some incidents where you felt a clear divide- an “us” and “them”-
because you didn’t know certain practices or to act a certain way?
→Language barriers are a very big factor when it comes to feeling like an outsider. Even now, if I enter
an elevator, and there are conversations happening in Hindi, I’ll feel lost, as if I don’t completely know
what’s going on. When I was in school, it was initially hard to make friends because I didn’t know what
the beliefs of the people around me were, what their social norms were, or what was popular to talk
about at the time.
iii. What are some customs or cultural nuances/practices that you felt were most important? In what
contexts?
→There are different ways to greet people, especially elders- this is very important. A lot of other
foreigners don’t take the time to understand their surroundings. I feel that it is important that one
observes what is happening in order to blend in. Everyone is very respectful and receptive here, but
foreigners can come and be loud and brash, which gets rude and annoying. It is important to know how
to handle yourself in crowded situations, in traffic, when there are animals on the road, and when
buying produce from vendors. Foreigners should also ease themselves into the spice levels of food here
in India and be mindful of how much they can take. It is also important to lean some basic Hindi words,
and how to handle discussions about religion without hurting the sentiments of people.
iv. How did not knowing these cultural norms affect the way people around you treated you?
→The people here are very polite, so nobody would say anything to me, but my friends who associated
with me were embarrassed by the way I conducted myself due to not knowing every cultural norm or
mannerism.
v. When you first came to India, what tools, if any, did you use to familiarize yourself with the cultural
practices?
→I didn’t use any tools, in particular, however I feel that having friends who know the place well and
will take the time to answer your questions are important.
vi. Do you think an application or technological assistance to other foreigners coming to India would be
helpful in acclimating to the surroundings?
→Yes, an app or something similar would be very helpful.
3. Client Requirements Survey
i. What are your expectations from the app described earlier during our interviews? (An app teaching
foreigners about social norms and customs in India)
→ Simple answers to common questions. Easy to understand explanations. Visual demo, showing how
things are done

ii. What are 3-5 colours you would want as the colour scheme of such an app?
→ Blue, white, gold

iii. What are some (2-4) apps or websites where you found the fonts visually appealing?
→ Netflix

iv.

4. Social Norms Audience Survey


i.
ii.

iii.

5. Peer Review of Layouts


i.

ii.
iii.

iv.

v.
vi.

6. Client Feedback on Layouts


i.

ii.
iii.

7. Final Client Product Review


i. Multiple Choice Questions

Question Option Option Option


Does the application match the colour scheme desired by you? Yes No Partially
Are the shapes in the app to your desire and liking? Yes No Partially
Is the font to your liking? Yes No Partially
ii. Do you notice any costs that may be incurred by users of the product?
→ Nope

iii. To what extent are the articles in the product relevant to social hierarchy and classes in India, family
values in India, and respectful behaviour?
→ I found them very relevant and helpful. The graphics helped too.

iv. Are the pages ergonomically vertically scrollable?


→ Yes

v. How easily navigable is the app?


→ Quite straightforward

vi. Does the menu option aid in the navigation of the app? In what way?
→ Yes.

vii. Do you feel that overall, this is a product that could help foreigners overcome the situation you were in
when you moved to India? In what ways?
→ Yes absolutely

viii. What improvements can be made to this app?


→ More categories would be helpful. Maybe one on the important festivals/occasions of the country. Or
maybe one on dress codes etc. There’s a lot of stuff that would be interesting and helpful for people who
don’t know
8. Focus Group App Review
i.

ii.

iii.

iv.
v.

9. Peer Review of Product Creation Plan (4 Respondents) :

Question Yes No Partially


Does the plan sufficiently outline required resources and 100 % of respondents 0% 0%
tools?
Are the processes required detailed and easy to understand? 100 % of respondents 0% 0%
Are the processes justified and relevant? 100 % of respondents 0% 0%

10. Beta Testing for Functionality


User Time Taken for Task (Seconds)
1 7.099
2 6.657
3 4.047
4 5.252
5 4.179
6 3.449
7 4.469

11. Expert Appraisal


12. Functionality Testing- Response Times

Button Response Time (Seconds)


Homepage Social Classes Button 0.437
Homepage Family and Values Button 0.4
Homepage Respectful Behaviour Button 0.429
Menu Button 0.355
Menu Back Button 0.501

13. Peer Survey to Assess Clarity of Criterion B Layouts (8 Respondents):

Question Yes No Partially


Do the layouts seem like they are designed to impart information? 100% 0% 0%
Are the buttons and labels discernible from one another? 100% 0% 0%
Is it clear that the placeholder components are there to show scope of the product? 75% 0% 25%

Appendix B- Secondary Research

1. Madray, Damian. “The Evolution of Design with Culture Thinking.” Medium, UX Collective, June 2017,
[Link]
Accessed 10 Nov. 2021.
Summary of Research:
Designers must keep in mind culture, beliefs and values, and what shapes the market in a particular
demographic. This method of approaching design problems is known as ontology.

2. Polyglot, The. “The Polyglot: Reclaiming Cultural Identity through Design.” The Polyglot, 6 Jan. 2011,
[Link] Accessed 10 Nov.
2021.
Summary of Research:
One can express and preserve their cultural identity and traditions through design my adapting to fusion
ideologies and combining older, more culturally significant principles and ideas with newer concepts.

3. Hernández, Larisa. “Design and Cultural Identity.” Lo Estratégico, 8 July 2011,


[Link] Accessed 12 Nov. 2021
Summary of Research:
It is only when one fully understands their personal history can they authentically reflect it in the form of a
tangible design and product reflecting their personal culture.

4. Cunningham, Daniel. “Can Taiwan Design Catalyze Cultural Identity?” PORTFOLIO Magazine, 2 Apr.
2019, [Link] Accessed
12 Nov. 2021.
Summary of Research:
Oftentimes, incorporating culture into design can help forge a connect with audiences, especially as a
bounce-back technique after a social crisis.

5. “Cultural Practice.” Wikipedia, 9 Oct. 2020, [Link] . Accessed 21


Nov. 2021.
6. McLeod, Saul. “Social Identity Theory.” [Link], 2019, [Link]/social-
[Link]
7. IQBAL, MANSOOR. “App Download and Usage Statistics (2019).” Business of Apps, 5 July 2019,
[Link]/data/app-statistics/ . Accessed 24 Nov. 2021.
8. “How to Create a User Persona (with Examples).” CleverTap, [Link]/blog/user-personas/ .
Accessed 24 Nov. 2021.
9. Jacobson, Doranne. “Indian Society and Ways of Living.” Asia Society, 2000,
[Link] . Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.
10. “Social Class in India: Class Typology and Class Consciousness.” Your Article Library, 22 Jan. 2015,
[Link]/india-2/social-class-in-india-class-typology-and-class-consciousness/47388 .
Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.
11. Bicchieri, Cristina, et al. “Social Norms (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).” [Link], 1 Mar. 2011,
[Link] . Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.
12. “Talking with Families about Sensitive Topics (Better Kid Care).” Better Kid Care (Penn State Extension),
2011, [Link]
sensitive-topics . Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.
13. “Reading: Ethnocentrism and Xenocentricism | Sociology.” [Link], 2011,
[Link] . Accessed 1
Dec. 2021.
14. Espino, Liezel. “How to Make an Effective Audio Visual Presentation.” [Link], 29 Aug. 2016,
[Link]/watch?v=FSbuAR26Za4&ab_channel=liezelespino . Accessed 1 Dec. 2021
15. Frater, Nile. “Curated List of App Builders - NoCode.” [Link], 22 Nov. 2021,
[Link]/category/app-builders. Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.
16. Burns, Mary. “Fonts and Their Influence on Learning.” ELearning Industry, 15 July 2019,
[Link]
17. “Using Color to Enhance Learning | Kaplan Early Learning Company.” [Link], Kaplan Early
Learning, 2014, [Link]/ii/using-color-to-enhance-learning .
18. “InvestorPrep: Learn to Invest.” App Store, [Link]
invest/id1256815602?l=es#?platform=iphone . Accessed 5 Dec. 2021.
19. Exambin. “Introduction to Indian Cultural Heritage –Indian Culture and Tradition | General Awareness
Series.” [Link], 29 May 2017,
[Link]/watch?v=lK3oqU2WNY0&ab_channel=Exambin . Accessed 5 Dec. 2021.
20. “Intro to Thunkable Drag and Drop Layout.” [Link], [Link]/watch?v=dQQsvQr-
f1U&ab_channel=Thunkable
21. “Button - Thunkable Docs.” [Link], 2022, [Link]
22. Gremillion, Allison S. “How Color Impacts Emotions and Behaviors.” 99designs, 30 Aug. 2019,
[Link]
behaviors/#:~:text=Blue%20makes%20you%20feel%20safe
23. NoCode, James. “Thunkable Web API Tutorial | Build a Realtime Translation App |Thunkable Tutorial for
Beginners 2021.” [Link], 23 June 2021,
[Link]/watch?v=Tbi1HSR4m9M&ab_channel=JamesNoCode

Appendix C- Personal Planning, Drawings, Diagrams, and Evidences

1.

Design question to address: How can I create a product that embraces culture, expresses identity, and promotes a
sense of international-mindedness?

2.

3. Keywords from the IB Unit Plan:


Personal, Cultural, Expression, Perspective, Sharing, Customs, Heritage, Identity, International-Mindedness

Common questions

Powered by AI

The American interviewee faced challenges such as cultural shock due to differences in social norms, such as the prevalence of cows in public spaces and crowded environments. They also dealt with being treated as a foreigner, where people over-explained simple things. To adapt, they familiarized themselves with the environment through immersion and learned specific cultural practices like greeting elders with respect .

Font choice influences learning and user engagement by affecting readability and the emotional tone of educational content. Appropriate fonts can enhance user comprehension and retention of information, making learning more effective. Elements such as font style and size can contribute to creating a visually appealing and engaging user experience, which is crucial in educational applications .

Language barriers played a significant role in making the interviewee feel like an outsider, especially in situations where they couldn't participate in conversations happening in Hindi, such as in elevators or public places. This language gap also initially made it difficult to make friends or understand social norms, contributing to a sense of disconnect and separation from the local culture .

Design thinking can contribute to culturally meaningful applications by incorporating local cultural identities, beliefs, and values into the design process. This includes considering market demographics and cultural contexts to create products that resonate with the target audience. Designers can also blend traditional cultural elements with modern concepts to preserve cultural identity while fostering a connection with users .

Living with an Indian resident influenced the interviewee to become more safety-minded, learning not to be casual about potentially unsafe situations, such as traveling alone in the dark. The interviewee was exposed to the societal emphasis on safety precautions, which shaped their approach to safety and security .

An app designed to help foreigners adapt to Indian cultural norms would be beneficial by providing accessible and simple answers to common cultural questions. The client expects it to have easy-to-understand explanations with visual demonstrations. Such an app can aid in acclimating foreigners by teaching respectful behaviors, language basics, and coping with cultural practices. The design should be straightforward, featuring a color scheme of blue, white, and gold for visual appeal .

Peer review respondents expect the cultural adaptation apps to be detailed, easy to understand, and justify the processes and resources they outline. Respondents noted the importance of ergonomic design for easy vertical scrolling and clear navigation aids, indicating a demand for user-friendly interfaces that effectively impart information and assist users in cultural acclimation .

Acquiring knowledge of unsaid customs greatly impacts integration by boosting confidence and reducing the stress of feeling like an outsider. The interviewee felt nervous and less confident when unaware of these customs, which made it hard to blend in and be accepted by the local community. Understanding local customs helped in navigating social interactions and gaining social acceptance .

Cultural practices and manners play a crucial role in forming relationships, as they facilitate social acceptance and interaction. The interviewee found that knowing how to greet elders and adhering to social norms eased interactions and helped in gaining respect. Conversely, ignorance of these practices led to embarrassment for them and their friends, highlighting the importance of cultural understanding in relationship building .

International-mindedness integrates into culturally sensitive product design by promoting inclusivity and an understanding of diverse cultural perspectives. This involves creating products that express identity, encompass multiple cultural narratives, and cater to a global audience while respecting local customs and practices. Designers must balance local cultural elements with universal appeal to engage a wide range of users .

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