What’s the impact of local cultures on the user experience of software solutions?

Abstract

Culture has a direct influence on the user experience. Good experiences should consider the context in which users belong and live, whether social, or organizational. For this, the qualitative research plays an essential role, since it is the one that will give the designer the possibility to know the users of the solutions he/she designs, understanding their needs and problems, process and tasks that he/she performs, as well as the famous ‘gambiarra’, a quick fix so frequently seen in computer systems. This article aims at exposing the importance of qualitative research in order to understand the cultural context of users. It is a theoretical article in which the authors use examples to demonstrate the importance of the research, especially the research that is carried out at the users’ workplace. Hopefully, it will be able to contribute to future research and reflections in the field, influencing designers and researchers alike, in their work.