Cultural sensitivity

Cultural context shapes how people communicate, make decisions, and interact with technology. Research methods that work well in one culture can fail or cause offense in another. Direct questioning might be valued in some cultures but considered rude in others. Individual interviews might feel comfortable to some participants while group settings feel more natural to others.

Cultural sensitivity requires recognizing that Western product development norms aren't universal. Assumptions about privacy, family structure, communication styles, time management, and even color meanings vary across cultures. Teams can't simply translate interfaces or research scripts and expect them to work. Language translation misses cultural nuance that affects how people interpret questions and products.

Working across cultures means doing homework before research begins. Learning about communication norms, appropriate compensation, gender dynamics, and power structures helps teams avoid unintentional disrespect. Partnering with local researchers or cultural consultants provides crucial context that outside teams lack. Cultural sensitivity isn't about being perfectly correct, but about approaching unfamiliar contexts with humility, asking questions, and prioritizing learning over assumptions.