Technology must work for diverse global users.
Key Point
| Design area | Key considerations |
|---|---|
| Language/character support | Unicode, right-to-left scripts, translation/localisation |
| Cultural differences | Colour meaning, date/number formats, icon interpretation |
| Accessibility/inclusion | Disability support, digital literacy range, bandwidth/device constraints |
Layout, Colour Paradigms and Character Sets
The specification names three things a designer must consider when software or a website will be used in more than one culture.
Key Point
| Consideration | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Some languages are read from right to left, so the arrangement of the screen has to be reversed. Translated text can also be much longer or shorter than the original | Arabic and Hebrew versions of a site put the menu on the right and align text to the right |
| Colour paradigms | Colours carry different meanings in different cultures, so a colour chosen to send a message may send the wrong one | Red signals danger or an error in much of Europe but good fortune in China. White is worn at weddings in the UK but is linked with mourning in parts of East Asia |
| Character sets | ASCII only holds the characters used in English. Other alphabets and symbols need Unicode | A form that only accepts ASCII cannot store a name written in Chinese, Arabic or Cyrillic characters |
Exam Tip
Give a specific example for each one. A general statement that different cultures have different needs does not show what the designer would change.
Ethical Discussion Framework
Exam Tip
For Ethics Questions, Consider:
1. Stakeholders - Who is affected?
2. Benefits - What are the advantages?
3. Harms - What are the risks/downsides?
4. Rights - Whose rights are involved?
5. Fairness - Is the impact distributed fairly?
6. Alternatives - Are there better approaches?
7. Laws - What legislation applies?
8. Balance - How do we weigh competing interests?
Always present BOTH sides of the argument and come to a reasoned conclusion.
1. Stakeholders - Who is affected?
2. Benefits - What are the advantages?
3. Harms - What are the risks/downsides?
4. Rights - Whose rights are involved?
5. Fairness - Is the impact distributed fairly?
6. Alternatives - Are there better approaches?
7. Laws - What legislation applies?
8. Balance - How do we weigh competing interests?
Always present BOTH sides of the argument and come to a reasoned conclusion.