Yahoo (US vs. China)

Beibei YangNov. 15, 2010

UMass Lowell91.527 Human-Computer Interaction, Fall 2010

This presentation is available at: http://goo.gl/Bsoww

Yahoo (US):http://www.yahoo.com

Yahoo (China):http://www.yahoo.com.cn

or http://cn.yahoo.com

Yahoo (China)Language: simplified ChineseCharacter set: GB2312Reading direction: L2R

Search Assistant

Good: Feature appropriateness and taste/values

Good: Visual communication

Left Column: Navigation Bar• Yahoo (US) allows navigation

bar customization• Yahoo (China) doesn’t allow

customization– Contradicts the Configurability

and Control in HCI principles

• Both good practice of Visual communication (icons)

Left Column: Navigation Bar Customization

Left Column: Navigation Bar Customization

Mid-column: Content • Date (including time zone)• Weights and measures

Both representation and content are localized

Violates the predictability principle Follows the predictability principle

Mid-column: Content

• The content of Yahoo (China) has a much longer length than Yahoo (US)– Matches the feature appropriateness and

taste/values principle– However, one can argue that Yahoo China violates

the simplicity and efficiency principles, and Fitt’sLaw

• The content of Yahoo (US) violates the Clarity, Predictability, Consistency, and Efficiency in principles

Right Column

Good: Directness, and Efficiency

Foot

Good: Feature appropriateness and taste/values

Aesthetically Speaking …

• Yahoo (US)– Violates the Aesthetically

pleasing principle• Yahoo (China)

– Follows the Aesthetically pleasing principle

Error 404

• Yahoo (US) displays search results

• Yahoo (China) shows the above 404 message before redirecting to the homepage

Both follow the Forgiveness principle

The “Contact Us” Page

• Street address• Postal Code• Phone Number

Others

• Yahoo (US) – links open in same window

• Yahoo (China)– links open in a new window

Good: Feature appropriateness and taste/values

Summary• HCI Principles and Heuristics

– Yahoo (US)• Violates: Aesthetically pleasing, Clarity, Consistency, Predictability,

Directness, and Efficiency• Follows: Compatibility, Comprehensibility, Configurability, Control,

Flexibility, Forgiveness, Simplicity, and Responsiveness– Yahoo (China)

• Violates: Configurability, Flexibility, Control, Simplicity, and Efficiency• Violates: Recognize rather than recall (Heuristics)• Follows: Aesthetically pleasing, Compatibility, Comprehensibility,

Clarity, Predictability, Directness, Efficiency, Forgiveness, and Responsiveness

• Yahoo (China) Good Practice of Localization– Language, Character set, Reading direction– Year, Month, Date, Measures– Visual communication– Feature appropriateness and taste/values

Conclusion:Overall, Yahoo (China) did a good job on localization

Thank You!