Design as a Function of Culture
Penguin February 18th, 2008
I was on Slashdot the other day, and an interesting comment came up. They were discussing the Microsoft-Yahoo proposed merger and talking about how the Yahoo homepage does great in Japan BECAUSE it’s so cluttered. That got me thinking about design sensibility as a function of culture.
Here in the states, we tend to like clean interfaces and design. This may be a reaction to the clutteredness of advertising and our individualistic need for personal space. I also think it was influenced a lot by European design, specifically from Germany and the influx of Helvetica.
Now you look at Japan as a counterpoint. They’re much more group oriented. The space they live is is small and cluttered. Every where you go, you’ll be shoulder to shoulder with someone else. This influences their design.
They love to maximize the space to present information. Webpages, ads, and even commercials are just jam packed with boxes and widgets and what have you.
So, what does it all mean? There’s this assumption that there’s a gauge for good design. But that gauge is going to change based on which cultural context you come from.
Food for thought.
-Penguin
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