National cultures and design

In this chapter, five dimensions are described, along which national cultures can be differentiated. Cultural clusters are identified. These clusters are groups of countries who are culturally similar. It is suggested that culture may be linked to aesthetic preference and that it is important to understand these links when designing products for global distribution. Cultural-clustering approaches differ from traditional geographical-based approaches to global-market segmentation. Research into cultural-aesthetic links is reported, along with a summary of links established to date. It is concluded that there is much research still to be done. This represents a major challenge which human factors as a profession must embrace if it is to move beyond usability and contribute to the creation of products which are a positive pleasure to own and use.