Designing for emerging markets: Adapting graphics for global audiences

In a world that is becoming increasingly connected, the need for cultural sensitivity in design is becoming more crucial for developing successful international branding strategies. Graphic designers must consider the importance of cultural context and understand how to differentiate design based on the intended audience’s culture.

Understanding the importance of cultural context

Cross-cultural branding is a brand strategy that focuses on using cultural awareness in design to maintain meaning and relevance for audiences of diverse cultural backgrounds. Global branding that thoroughly accounts for cultural influences on design is vital to successful cross-cultural communications because the context of the creator and the context of the audience significantly impact the intended and interpreted meanings of any visual design. If the designer and audience exist in vastly different cultural, social, political or historical contexts, then the interpreted meaning can become lost in translation.

To avoid offensive design, misleading imagery, or inaccurate translations, extensive cultural research should be incorporated into your global design strategies.

Avoiding offensive or misleading imagery

When designing for a global audience, focus on using inclusive imagery that incorporates images of a variety of people (different races, genders, ages, and body types). However, be careful not to represent individuals in stereotypical roles that could be offensive to certain groups.

What is considered normal or polite language, behavior, and interaction varies greatly between cultures. Failing to understand and honor cultural nuance in international graphic design can result in awkwardness or designs that don’t resonate with your audience (even potentially offending a cross-cultural audience).

To better understand cultural nuances and regional preferences, designers should consider multiple dimensions of cultural difference. The world-renowned Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede worked with a team to create a six-dimensional model of national culture that defined six categories of cultural differences, measured and mapped around the world.

Geert’s 6-D Model of National Culture includes:

Collectivism vs. individualism – This dimension measures whether members of a particular region place more value on individuals (independence) or collective groups (interdependence).
Power distance – This dimension measures how much cultural members expect and accept an unequal distribution of power.
Femininity vs. masculinity – This dimension measures the degree to which a culture deems the use of force as socially acceptable. Additionally, it takes into consideration the openness of emotional expression across genders.
Uncertainty avoidance – This dimension measures the degree to which the members of a culture tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty.
Long-term orientation vs. short-term orientation – This dimension measures whether the members of a culture are more future-oriented (long-term planning) or past/present-oriented (short-term planning).
Indulgence vs. restraint – This dimension measures whether the members of a culture place more value on indulgence (satisfying human desires) or restraint (abstinence). Indulgent cultures tend to be more open, while more restrained cultures adhere more closely to societal norms and traditions.

Researching international audiences and where they fall within the six dimensions will help designers create more successful cultural adaptation strategies. Designers can consider these categories with respect to their audience when designing brand and marketing imagery to ensure seamless, respectful, and positive international marketing.

Designers must also be mindful of the fact that common symbols can have vastly different meanings within different cultural contexts. One of the most well-recognized examples of differing regional symbolism is the spiral. Found within nature, and one of the oldest symbols worldwide, spirals and their many variations are found throughout North America, Africa, China, Peru, and within Neolithic societies in Europe and the Middle East. For some, it represents the birth, life, and rebirth cycle, symbolizing growth throughout our lifetimes. For others, it represents the world’s necessity for change yet emphasizes life’s repeated patterns, allowing us to revisit past issues once more from a more mature and evolved perspective. Being aware of exactly how a symbol will be interpreted within a culture and the larger implications surrounding it is crucial to properly convey your desired message.

Royalty-free and culturally diverse image libraries

Designers have access to several royalty-free image libraries that are stocked with culturally diverse images. A few of the most popular libraries to visit include:

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By RMCAD