Navigating the Digital Spice Route UX LX 2012

Editor's Notes

• #3: The Spice RouteSpices have been traded for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs tell of the trade in spices, which were so valuable that they were used in place of money and were seen as the greatest of gifts. King Solomon was once presented by the Queen of Sheba with “twenty talents of gold and spices of very great store.”For many centuries, Arabs controlled the trade between the East and the Mediterranean for many centuries. They monopolized trade by refusing to reveal their sources, even exaggerating the difficulty of obtaining their aromatic goods. The earliest sea route was thought to be from the East Indies across the Indian Ocean, and then either north to the Persian Gulf or across the Arabian Sea to the Red Sea. From these destinations, spices went to Babylon and on to Europe.
• #5: The 21st century digital spice route challenge – a new route – the digital spice route as there’s a new medium for Information - the Internet
• #6: Experience principles based from experience and insights working on cross culture projects targeting audiences in middle east and asia markets (e.g. China, Korean etc).
• #8: White – could beqatar, kwaitt or emiratesRed – definitely saudiWith NO colar, definitely NOT a saudi
• #9: HE is NOT a Saudi but more like Emiratis
• #10: In the processof putting together personas, never rely on desk research but speak to the locals to validate.
• #12: By 2015, Internet popular of China is 700 MILLION, double the combined number of Japan and the USOnline retail is a $360 billion dollars businessThe tier one Chinese cities are Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. These were the first to be opened up to competitive economic development by the Chinese government, and so are the most populous, affluent and competitive cities in the country. Strategies for economic development then began to spread to other cities in waves, creating the second, third, and fourth tiers.Tier 1 shanghai – 23 millionBeijing 22 millionGuanzhou 15 millionCzech republic – 10 millionUK - 60 million
• #14: To show face is you need to be there in person, they have to see you. Japan takes client for drinks vastly different business cultures.transaction-orientedvschinese relationship orientedChinese only use the people they know, like, and respect. To them, a transaction is not really business. This is part of the reason we have quality problems. To them, shipping a container of widgets for a letter of credit is not a relationship, even if you’ve been doing it for 16 years. It’s a little bit of a longer view than a transaction, because in a project, there are more details and teamwork involved. A project involves doing the task together—unlike an arm’s-length transaction—but there’s a defined beginning, middle, and end. The Indians are *very* good at this. figure out whether they respect you and like you before starting. They’re not comfortable doing a project or transaction first.
• #17: Beijing example of implementation
• #18: Bad example of Architects making assumptions that locals understand English – result – the design became all over the place and was too late to fix them.
• #19: DESIGN IS A KIND OF ARABIC
• #23: In the way you reflect your brand, you need to give a sense of trust, respect and prestige. Might it feel special Same principles in here but the triggers
• #26: Form a dialogue with the local audience through social media - word of mouth
• #29: Web reading pattern ofChinese users - clicking
• #31: Flash is considered the ‘default’ medium for commercial web designthere are 755 million cell phone subscribers in China – more than half of the population. That makes China the world’s largest mobile device market.  That number will (of course) only rise as the populace becomes more affluent.  Nielsen found that the split between the sexes was almost equal: women comprised 49% of users while men made up 51%.  Adults aged 25-34 and 35-44 made up the largest percentage of users (23% each).for many people in China, the mobile Web is the only one they need. When they think of the Web, they don’t think of tethering themselves to a desktop PC and the accessories of mice, keyboards, mouse pads, printers and monitors. Not only do many homes in China not have (or need) landlines for voice communications, but also they don’t require hardwired Internet access for their fix of the Web. With mobile phones, everything they need is in the palm of their hand.In a short amount of time, mobile consumers in China have surpassed their American counterparts when it comes to using the devices to access the Internet (38% of Chinese mobile subscribers compared to 27% of American mobile subscribers), despite less advanced networks.  Whether it’s kids in Beijing downloading games or adults in Shanghai requiring real-time information about the stock market and the ability to act on it on the go, the mobile Web is becoming an integral part of Chinese life.India presently has 35 million mobile internet users, out of which, 26.3 million users are classified as active users. The number of mobile internet users in India is expected to touch 46 million in September 2011
• #32: International brands instead of having their own e-commerce site, preferred to associate themselves with a locally trustable e-commerce platform
• #33: A long list of various payment methods
• #34: Same magazine, different region, imagery is adjusted to accommodate local censorships
• #43: Successful global brands emerge by enhancing experiences, functionalities and qualities
• #45: Maintain own brand offerings but localise product offerings
• #47: Getting the right mix of discipline together with local experts. Adapt and adjust to the local technological and media needs.Tailor the local offerings, pick and choose what is acceptable locally, identify and focus where you want to take them to the next level.Quantity of the mix makes a huge difference in terms of success or failureUsing the right colour combination Trial & error is part of the continuous improvement process that makes things perfect. Pay attention to the detail and refine it as it goes along.