How Culture and Language Impact UX/UI

“Perception of usability varies from one country to another. Therefore, culture has to be taken into account during the design process”.

Imagine this: You’ve finally decided to make that big purchase. You navigate to the company’s website, eager to buy. But the site is a cluttered mess, with an unreadable font and overwhelming information. As you struggle through endless clicks, your excitement wanes. After creating an account, you’re forced to start over because the site defaults to the wrong country and currency. Finally, you reach the purchase button—only for the page to stall. Frustrated, you give up.

This scenario is a textbook example of poor user experience (UX). For those unfamiliar, UX refers to all the interactions a person has with a product or service. UX designers focus on understanding customers' needs, behaviours, and desires to create a seamless experience. 

The basics of UX and UI

Let’s clarify the difference between UX and UI (User Interface). UI is the design of a website, software, or app—the screens, pages, and elements that allow you to interact with the product. Think of it like visiting a salon: the quality of hair products, the comfortable chairs, and the sleek mirrors represent the UI, while the soothing music, scalp massage, and top-notch service embody the UX.

So, how do companies figure out what users want? UX testers use tools like Hotjar to record user behaviour, revealing pain points such as forms that are too tedious to complete. Heatmaps highlight areas where users engage most, while Google Analytics and usability testing provide deeper insights into user behaviour.

Every detail in a design—colour schemes, font sizes, whitespace—is chosen with purpose. Psychological principles often guide these decisions. But remember, the perception of usability, much like the perception of the world, varies across cultures. That’s why cultural considerations are crucial in UX/UI design.

Designing for Multilingual Products

Translating content into another language is just the beginning. To truly connect with a global audience, the design itself must resonate locally. If a product is intended for multiple regions, it should be designed with internationalization in mind from the start. If designed for just one country, localization will be necessary later on.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words—Except in Japan

Even if you can’t read Japanese, it’s clear that a lot is happening on this Japanese website. Information architecture differs greatly between Eastern and Western sites. In Japan and East Asia, users expect to see extensive information at a glance. This aligns with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, which suggest that Japanese culture has a low tolerance for uncertainty. Users in these regions “need detailed information to feel confident in their decisions”, explaining the text-heavy design and even text within images.

If we compared heatmaps of English and Japanese versions of the same site, we’d see that English-speaking users quickly scan for headlines and key points. Japanese users, however, spend more time reading detailed content.

Since logographic languages like Japanese can’t use italics, bold, or capitalization as we do with the Latin alphabet, UX designers must get creative with other forms of emphasis, such as flashing colors and banners. Colours, too, play a crucial role, as their meanings vary by culture. For instance, in Japan, red symbolizes happiness and is widely used online.

The Challenge of Right-to-Left Languages

Right-to-left (RTL) languages like Arabic, Hebrew, or Farsi present unique challenges for UX designers. Beyond flipping the text direction, the entire interface must be mirrored—icons, checkboxes, tables, loading bars, and navigation paths all need to be reversed. This ensures the user experience aligns with the reading patterns these users are accustomed to.

However, most RTL languages are bi-directional, meaning some elements, like dates, times, checkmark icons, and brand logos, are still read left-to-right. This adds another layer of complexity to the design process.

So, where do we stand? 

Culture can definitely complicate design. The key takeaway? A website must be user-centric, and this sometimes means adapting your design to fit local cultures. If localization isn’t feasible, aim to create a design that’s as universally appealing as possible.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic formula that can mix content and visuals into a design that pleases everyone. The devil is in the details. Understanding users’ preferences and making them feel at home every time they visit your site is essential.