As we turn toward a global economy, it’s important to think of the cultural implications of UX, in particular in Japan, one of the world’s biggest economies. The rules we learned as UX designers from Jakob Nielsen do not always work the same once we leave our shores. Cultural differences to be considered include: uncertainty (risk) avoidance – Japan ranks highest in the world according to Geerte Hoftstede’s Cultural Dimensions; collectivism; lifetime employment; hyper-urban landscape; language barrier; lack of web fonts and more.

Attendees will go away with a solid understanding of the arcane and exotic mysteries of UX in the Japanese web environment and what considerations they will have to make if designing for Japanese businesses.