Hi Jarod, I'm Japanese user experience architect living in Tokyo. My opinion may be helpful for you.
In Japan there are lots of original mobile web contents serviced by mobile network operators such as NTT docomo, Softbank mobile, and au. These mobile web contents are closed only for respective mobile operator. Ordinary web browser such as IE and Safari cannot access to the mobile contents. Only browsers which follow guideline provided by those mobile network operators can access the contents. iPhone and some Nokia's phone cannot access these mobile web contents and these users have to give up using domestic mobile web contents. Mobile phone are used in commuter train. Many people enjoy text messaging till they arrive the destination. In the situation users have to handle the phone by one hand. I'm not iPhone user so this is not true, but iPhone requires two hand inputs. I think Japanese more frequently use text messaging than mere calling. Phones which is not manipulable by one hand are stressful. Related to text messaging, Emoji (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji) is really important for Japanese text messaging, especially for teenagers. Mere text sentences are not sufficient to communicate their feeling. Emoticon sometimes looks techie. Receivers who are not good at technology do not care about iPhone and Nokia phone cannot use Emoji, so iPhone users may give blunt impression to message receivers. regards, Hitoshi Enjoji On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 10:03 PM, Jarod Tang <jarod.t...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Will, > > Thanks for the link. > I subscribe his blog for sometime, which also makes me more confusing. > > Jarod > > On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:45 PM, Will Evans <wkeva...@gmail.com> wrote: >> Interesting development,given that Nokia's design ethnographer, Jan >> Chipchase, lives in Tokyo: >> http://www.janchipchase.com/ >> He presented a few months back at IxDA NYC. >> >> ~ will >> "Where you innovate, how you innovate, >> and what you innovate are design problems" >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Will Evans | User Experience Architect >> tel: +1.617.281.1281 | w...@semanticfoundry.com >> http://blog.semanticfoundry.com >> aim: semanticwill >> gtalk: semanticwill >> twitter: semanticwill >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> >> On Jan 6, 2009, at 7:38 AM, Jarod Tang wrote: >> >> Hi Jerome, >> >> Thanks for your information. >> >> I study the Japaneses market for some design project reasons. And some >> interesting information sticks me very much >> 1. Nokia has a japan mobile rd office for long time, this means that >> they really know this market, if they dont want to change, maybe >> because the think the roi (caused by the constant competition ) is not >> as good as other market, e.g. u.s market, or china (it's extreme >> successful here) >> 2. for the first 2 months, iphone sold very well in japan, this seems >> caused by apple brand and iPod's popular there, but it soon drops very >> fast from the third month. this is a interesting phenomenon, that >> Japaneses mobile users are open, but they use the mobile phone much >> more heavier than other area, if it lacks something, it's really >> affect their life, and they'll go back to the more fitted solution >> 3. Japaneses is hard to input, so they firstly introduce Emoji, then >> it evolute as a cute way to express between close friends, this is not >> so obvious on other market ( even Chinese market ) >> 4, Japaneses mobile users seems more flexible than other market, cause >> they change the keitai by half year base, this is faster than other >> area >> 5, they love clean and cute phones, while they claim for features, >> this is a paradox, which may kill the none japaness mobile designs, >> >> More to be found. >> >> Regards, >> Jarod >> >> On Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 11:51 AM, Jerome Ryckborst <j3r...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Nokia's low market share in Japan is bound to have compound causes. I wonder >> >> whether "unfamiliar" or "indecipherable" icons were one of the reasons Nokia >> >> didn't do well in Japan? >> >> I remember seeing a research poster at the 2005 UPA conference in >> >> Montreal that compared how well research participants in China, North >> >> America, and Japan performed at predicting or identifying the functions of >> >> over a dozen icons. The icons were from a particular maker of mobile phones >> >> but I don't remember which one. Participants in China and USA performed >> >> well. Japanese participants were "worse" than those in China and USA. >> >> I asked the Japan-based researcher about her findings, and she >> >> said lower recognition in Japan may have been because many phones in Japan >> >> use different icons from the rest of the world -- I think* she said early >> >> Japanese mobile phones used a set of icons unique to Japan. *There were >> >> some language barriers. >> >> I remember the gap between Japan and the other two countries being >> >> about 10%, but remember that this was 3½ years ago. Anyway, that's the power >> >> of first experiences and being first to market. Customers may not understand >> >> 10% of the designs from late(r) entrants. >> >> ------ >> >> Jerome Ryckborst, CUA, UPA member | Tel +1.604.689.1253 >> >> ------ >> >> ________________________________________________________________ >> >> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! >> >> To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org >> >> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe >> >> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines >> >> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help >> >> >> >> >> -- >> http://designforuse.blogspot.com/ >> ________________________________________________________________ >> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! >> To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org >> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe >> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines >> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help >> >> > > > > -- > http://designforuse.blogspot.com/ > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! 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