Inclusive Design II

One thing that really stood out to me in this section of reading was the idea of cultural constraints. As brought up by the author, a cultural constraint prevents somebody from performing a certain action or can lead to repercussions for them performing a certain action, and it is based on the cultural beliefs of their society. One example that I've encountered is a somewhat-recent phenomenon among young people known as the "dap" or "dap up". This is a handshake where two people clasp hands and hook their fingers as a sign of greeting or solidarity. Despite having the same general structure, the handshake differs depending on where the individual is from and can include a fist bump, hand slap, or other actions. Doing an incorrect form of the greeting can often lead to confusion or judgement. Different forms of this handshake can be seen in as little distance as different parts in the same city. I think this goes to show just how important it is to account for different cultural constraints when designing a product. We often think of cultural differences as being between completely different countries, but they can even been regional or local. With the internet reaching more and more people everyday, I think it's important that when you go to design a product, you take some time to think about the language, style, customs, and overall cultural background of your website and how it might interact with users of other cultural backgrounds.

Photo by Brian Lundquist on Unsplash