The Coming Surge in Emerging Markets by Dr. John Sorflaten

You don't need to read many newspapers or listen to many State of the Union speeches to predict the future of economic growth.

Even back in October of 2009, the Los Angeles Times could easily say in a Consumers Section headline: "U.S. firms look to sell wares in emerging markets. As sales wither at home, manufacturers see China, India and Brazil as a customer base of new affluence".

The question, then, is "how does this challenge affect my user experience responsibilities?"

Answers will vary. What is your situation? As a web site designer do you already advise, design, or support international market efforts?

As a "user experience" person, should you be thinking about user personas from other cultures who can benefit from your product?

As a graphics person, do you wonder about metaphors and symbols to engage the attention of persons whose life style differs from your own?

As a creative employee of your organization, would you like to open the door to new product scenarios based on your entrepreneurial investigations into customer needs?

All of these questions stem from reading the fine print in articles such as given above:

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