Localization and Cultural Adaptation of Museum Websites
A Case of the Chinese Website of The British Museum
Keywords:
Localization, cultural adaptation, museum website, The British MuseumAbstract
This paper examines the approach to localizing a high-level website through cultural adaptation, focusing on six elements of cultural adaptation in web localization: spatial orientations, navigation modes, translation equivalence, country-specific symbols, icons, and color symbolism. Using the 10 most-searched Chinese museum websites as reference objects, the paper analyses the level of cultural adaptation in the Chinese website of TBM and provides suggestions to increase its localization level, including the use of sticky sidebars, icons plus textual descriptions, and bright colors. The paper highlights the importance of understanding cultural differences in website design and the potential impact on user experience. Overall, the paper offers insights and practical recommendations for web localization practitioners to effectively adapt websites to different cultures.
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