Top 5 Lessons Learned - User Research in Asia

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