Usability for Social Justice: Exploring the Implementation of Localization Usability in Global North Technology in the Context of a Global South’s Country

Abstract

As a discipline and a set of practices, technical communication focuses on designing technical products through the effective implementation of usability to facilitate users in performing tasks with speed, accuracy, and satisfaction. This article proposes that designers in the Global North should consider the effective localization usability implementation in their products or systems so that social justice can be promoted in the Global South’s countries that import such products from the Global North. Using a purposeful sampling research method, this article shares findings from a study, emphasizing that technical products developed through participatory localization for usability might be in a better position to be used for promoting social justice and human rights in resource-constrained settings. The article discusses the implications of the findings, suggesting that northern products should be designed according to the usability expectations of local users in the Global South so that the North–South divide can be, at least, narrowed, if not eliminated.

Localizing Directed Self-Placement: UX Stories and Methods

“…Perhaps as it implies, usability is generally understood to be about ease of use and usefulness, centering the needs and experiences of the users rather than a system's aesthetic or design. Some usability principles include learnability, readability, memorability, efficiency, error recovery, and satisfaction (Acharya, 2019).…”

Sex Work and Professional Risk Communication: Keeping Safe on the Streets

“…TPC has shown a growing interest in supporting and intervening on behalf of minoritized and marginalized groups (e.g., Acharya, 2019;Cox, 2019;Evia & Patriarca, 2012;Jones & Williams, 2018;Jones et al, 2016;Moore et al, 2018). Further, researchers in other fields have already shown interest in working with sex worker organizations to support safety and risk mitigation.…”

Social Justice and the Portrayal of Migrants in International Organization for Migration’s World Migration Reports

“…• Placing vulnerable or marginalized populations in a central position (Acharya, 2019;Agboka, 2012;Rose, 2016) • Observing social inequities and proposing/taking action to address them (Jones & Walton, 2018) • Examining and minimizing issues of power differentials (Ding & Savage, 2013;Frost, 2013, Walton, 2013 Using only one of these principles does not necessarily make a study social justice-oriented. In fact, most widely cited studies on social justice (such as Agboka, 2012Agboka, , 2013Jones et al, 2016;Rose, 2016;Walton, 2016) make it a point to consider human rights at the point of designing the study rather than a tack-on.…”