One year Three primary countries
Top 5 Lessons Learned User Research in Asia May 10, 2012 • Mozilla Carissa Carter @snowflyzone
Beijing Tokyo
China Delhi
India Mumbai
Bangalore
Shanghai
Japan
Hong Kong - based China, India, Japan - focused
Top 5 Lessons Learned User Research in Asia Meta more than method Cultural more than specific
Beijing Tokyo
China Delhi
India Mumbai
Bangalore
Shanghai
Japan
(1) Understand the enhanced impact of recent history. Example: China
China
Taiwan Macau
Hong Kong
4.9 trillion
knowledge nominal GDP (USD)
service manufacturing agrarian
1950
Great leap forward
Cultural Revolution
1958 1961
1966
1960
closed economy
1976 1970
1980
1990
2000
part planned, part open economy
These factors shape the modern Chinese workforce.
2010
The events we’ve experienced sculpt our lives and inform our behaviors. In China, we see one more layer that shapes today’s knowledge workers.
lived abroad from China
(1) Self Starter • Cultural Revolution Generation • born, raised, educated in Mainland China • very little Western exposure • immediately entrepreneurial when the economy opened up.
6 Western
5 Hybrid
older
younger
4 Returnee
1
2
Self-Starter
Conformist
least common
MNC management gap
3 Optimist
lived only in China
Age + time spent abroad = 6 archetypes of worker
lived abroad from China
(2) Conformist • Cultural Revolution and Transition Generations • lived only in Mainland China • accept Communism • accept information provided to them by the Chinese government
6 Western
5 Hybrid
older
younger
4 Returnee
1
2
Self-Starter
Conformist
least common
MNC management gap
3 Optimist
lived only in China
Age + time spent abroad = 6 archetypes of worker
lived abroad from China
(3) Optimist • Opportunity Generation • born, raised, educated in Mainland China • possible Western exposure via employment (themselves or a friend) at a MNC • life in China is great
6 Western
5 Hybrid
older
younger
4 Returnee
1
2
Self-Starter
Conformist
least common
MNC management gap
3 Optimist
lived only in China
Age + time spent abroad = 6 archetypes of worker
lived abroad from China
(4) Returnee • Transition Generation • born and raised in Mainland China, educated overseas • now live in China • many advantages for these sea turtles
6 Western
5 Hybrid
older
younger
4 Returnee
1
2
Self-Starter
Conformist
least common
MNC management gap
3 Optimist
lived only in China
Age + time spent abroad = 6 archetypes of worker
lived abroad from China
(5) Hybrid • individuals of Chinese descent • born, raised, educated in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia • now live in China • East-West understanding • highly sought-after by MNCs
6 Western
5 Hybrid
older
younger
4 Returnee
1
2
Self-Starter
Conformist
least common
MNC management gap
3 Optimist
lived only in China
Age + time spent abroad = 6 archetypes of worker
lived abroad from China
(6) Western • born, raised, educated in a Western country • live permanently in China • often sent by MNCs
6 Western
5 Hybrid
older
younger
4 Returnee
1
2
Self-Starter
Conformist
least common
MNC management gap
3 Optimist
lived only in China
Age + time spent abroad = 6 archetypes of worker
40
economy opens
lived abroad
birth rate (per thousand) Western
30
Hybrid
20 1958 1961
Great leap forward
10
birth year
Degree to which the present knowledge workforce has lived abroad or stayed in Mainland China
1950
1966
1976
Cultural Revolution
1960
1970
Returnee
1980
1990
age 51-66 today
age 34-51 today
age 25-34 today
Survivor Generation
Cultural Revolution Generation
Transition Generation
Baby Boomer
Self Starter
Gen X
Conformist
2000
2010
age 16-25 today
Opportunity Generation
Gen Y (Millenial) Optimist
lived in mainland China
Knowledge worker archetypes in more detail.
China Generations Western Generations
recap
(1) Understand the enhanced impact of recent history. What events have shaped your target users? How does this affect their behavior or attitudes as related to your product?
(2) Find the momentum of the population. Example: India
China Pakistan
New Delhi
Nepal
India
Calcutta
Mumbai Hyderabad
Bangalore Chennai
Sri Lanka
Bhutan Bangladesh Myanmar
70+ 50-69
Under 20
!
Under 35
35-49
20-34
1.2 billion people. 800 million under 35. World’s largest youth population.
Signs of success: motorbike, car, home.
“One hundred and fifty years of Mongol rule, and 200 years of British rule? We were deprived for a long time. We were ready for 1991.�
Entrepreneurial drive: laying pipes to bring water.
recap
(2) Find the momentum of the population. Where does the energy of your users come from? How will you tap into it? What role do religion, politics, or other factors play?
(3) Tap into self-perceptions.
Example: Japan
Russia
Sapporo
Sendai
S. Korea Hiroshima
China
Fukuoka
March 11, 2011 earthquake epicenter
Tokyo
Kyoto
Yokohama Osaka
Japan Taiwan
Western conception of Self
Eastern conception of Self
“To thine own self be true” -Shakespeare
“Where self is, truth is not. Where truth is, self is not.” -Buddha
• analytic
• holistic
• ego-focused emphasis on stability
• balance focused
• need resolution of contradiction
• embrace contradiction
• individualist
• collectivist and interdependent
• cultural mandate to define unique attributes and express and affirm them
• dialectical society means acknowledgement of transience
Start with opposites but be aware of blurring lines.
In their own eyes:
quick to act
China
Japan
is more indecisive than is less aggressive than is quieter than
China Singapore India
loud
Singapore
quiet
India Japan contemplative
Understand self-stated relationships to neighbors.
hierarchical
flat
collectivist
individualist
worker bees
free thinkers
older means wiser what others think is most important personal fixed closed walls furniture as commodity
ability trumps experience what I feel is most important collaborative free address open benching furniture helps performance
uniform seating
ergonomic seating
heavy paper use
mostly digital documents
technology standards
energy from the code passive world participant set work hours long commute OK meeting-heavy
employee selected equipment
energy from the crowd active world contributor work time flexible need a clear path home casual collaboration
Create and use spectrums to visualize trends.
recap
(3) Tap into self-perceptions. How does the culture you are working with view itself with respect to its neighbors? The world? How might these perceptions affect your product?
(4) Use images as language.
Everywhere.
Use images to probe for aspiration and description.
recap
(4) Use images as language.
With a language and cultural barrier, how might you use images to understand the high-level needs of your users?
(5) Know what you’re up against and leverage it. Example: China
Change in China is top down vs. bottom up.
recap
(5) Know what you’re up against and leverage it. What barriers stand in the way of people adopting your product or experience? How can you use this constraint to your advantage?
Top 5 Lessons Learned User Research in Asia (1) Understand the enhanced impact of recent history. (2) Find the momentum of the population. (3) Tap into self-perceptions. (4) Use images as language. (5) Know what you’re up against and leverage it.
thank you. questions? carissa.carter@gmail.com @snowflyzone snowflyzone.com paralleldesignlabs.com screemagazine.com about.me/carissacarter