Designing for International Audiences and Cultural Differences

14th February, 2010

In this extract from The Design Manual, AGDA ACT member David Whitbread considers a number of issues related to designing for cultural differences, from different traditions that imply different visual meanings to colour and positioning; to issues of depiction and appropriation, representation and audience attraction.

What is the influence of place on a designer and the work they produce? What are the considerations that need to be given for audiences in different parts of the world that they may understand a message in a given form?

Is there a particular way of seeing and representing the world that is distinguishable from how designers in other nations see and represent the world? What role do design traditions and history have in communicating in the contemporary world?

It is well known that colours carry meanings. Many carry opposite meanings in different cultures: death can be represented by black or white; yellow can represent fear or optimism; red can represent energy, good luck or horror....more