Have you ever wondered what truly separates the good from the great in the realm of international UX research? It’s not just overcoming the language barrier, but also seamlessly navigating cultural nuances to uncover deeper insights. This journey to deeper understanding is paved by an intimate grasp of local contexts, something bilingual UX researchers excel at.
How bilingual UX researchers can help you get to deeper insight
Cross-Cultural Know-how = Seeing Deeper than the Eyes Allow
Beyond what people say, there are layers of thoughts, feelings, and values that are not immediately visible. In cross-cultural context, this was first termed the “cultural iceberg” by Edward T. Hall in 1976. What we usually see in the moment are artifacts like words, foods, or clothes, called surface culture. However, beyond that there are deep-rooted beliefs, norms, rules on everyday manners, business, courtship or reputation, called deep-culture. While the former can be found online in searches or via AI as information, the latter requires experience in the culture to truly decipher in a nuanced way.
The Value for You:For example, there is a saying in Japanese; “say 1 thing to express 10.” It means that there are way less words spoken than in other, more verbal languages like English. If words express 1, the remaining 90% is often expressed through subtle facial expressions, gestures, voice tone changes and social context. To make things even more complicated, words can actually mean the opposite of what is said (e.g. what may sound critical towards oneself or family can in fact be a bragging story). We often hear from our non-Japanese speaking clients that Japanese people’s expressions in words, mannerisms or facial expressions can feel subtle, and hard to pin. A cross-culturally minded UX researcher can immediately help place each of the participant’s reactions or words in context for a smoother and quicker study turnaround.
The Value for You:For example, there is a saying in Japanese; “say 1 thing to express 10.” It means that there are way less words spoken than in other, more verbal languages like English. If words express 1, the remaining 90% is often expressed through subtle facial expressions, gestures, voice tone changes and social context. To make things even more complicated, words can actually mean the opposite of what is said (e.g. what may sound critical towards oneself or family can in fact be a bragging story). We often hear from our non-Japanese speaking clients that Japanese people’s expressions in words, mannerisms or facial expressions can feel subtle, and hard to pin. A cross-culturally minded UX researcher can immediately help place each of the participant’s reactions or words in context for a smoother and quicker study turnaround.
Lived Cross-Cultural Experience = Understanding Your Perspective
At Uism, more than 60% of our researchers have lived in multiple countries, and traveled to over 62. We love to share the wealth of diverse experiences. Because we have immersed ourselves in cultures across continents, if you tell us where you are, we can imagine a lot of your world immediately. We are not just proficient in Japanese culture, but can grasp the context of your perspectives, and swiftly evaluate the fit with what you want to accomplish here.
The Value for You: We can both extend and challenge your perspective where due. If you are trying to follow a path that is unavailable or meaningless here, we will (gently) inform you of the realities here and propose alternatives that would maximize your outcomes.
The Value for You: We can both extend and challenge your perspective where due. If you are trying to follow a path that is unavailable or meaningless here, we will (gently) inform you of the realities here and propose alternatives that would maximize your outcomes.
Language Proficiency = Providing Smoother Communication For You
We are always happy when our clients joyfully exhale “communication with you is so easy because your English is perfect.” At Uism, we pride ourselves that more than 60% of our researchers are bi- or tri-lingual. Needless to say, comfort with multiple languages at a high level means less gets lost in translation.
The Value for You: Quicker communication, less time spent trying to decipher the meaning behind hard-to-understand English translations, and more time for you to focus on what truly matters: what users really want and how you can apply that to your needs A.S.A.P.!
The Value for You: Quicker communication, less time spent trying to decipher the meaning behind hard-to-understand English translations, and more time for you to focus on what truly matters: what users really want and how you can apply that to your needs A.S.A.P.!
Just thinking about discussing the needs of Japanese users for your research has us energized and excited yet again! We cannot wait to hear from you.