I've never really given it much thought before but have you ever compared websites of two different cultures? For example, take a look at some North American websites and you will often find a slick design, somewhat spacious and pleasing on the eyes. Now take a look at this large China telecom webpage (www.gznet.com) or Chinese news agency site (www.sina.cn). Just like how the popualtion density in China is extremely high, the amount of information packed into the home page is enormous and any free space is filled with ads. If you have not installed the chinese language pack you might not be able to get the “full experience” but let me tell you, it feels very busy. You have horizontal and vertically scrolling text, bright colored ads that flash to grab your attention, additional ads on the side to reach users who have pop up blockers - it feels like I'm going to have a seizure whenever I visit these sites. It sure wouldn't hurt to redesign some of these sites!
Tags: [china] [design]