Two recent books can help you cross these international boundaries. Each region of the globe possesses its own unique cultural characteristics, and honoring local customs and traditions is essential when designing for an international market. Two new titles from Rockport Publishing address such concerns and offer a substantial resource for designers faced with an international assignment. Each book examines how basic colors and symbols are viewed in over 40 countries. An understanding of the subtle distinctions and customary uses of these graphical elements can make the difference between a successful campaign and a cultural blunder.
History is filled with examples.
Renaming the product would probably have yielded better sales. Purple is used to depict royalty, but it is also recognized as a color of mourning in Brazil. Many colors have universal meanings. Other tones generate wildly different interpretations. The subtext of orange, for example, varies within different cultures.