🚀 go-pugleaf

Recent discussions on INSOFT-L have mainly focused on translations.
I'm a user-interface designer and have another problem when designing
(what we call within IBM) "common" i.e. international interfaces.
How are your experiences with adapting interfaces to specific cultures?

I'm not talking about "generic" interfaces like text editors, but more
task oriented interfaces, products that help people do their job, for
instance process an order.

In France a person would be assigned to a specific customer (group)
and this would be his or her little kingdom, while in Germany it would
be structured horizontally. One person would be registering all invoices
and another one would keep inventory, or be responsible for fulfilment
etc. Both groups need a different interface, which support their way
of working.

This is just an imaginary example. But is anybody of you seeing any
patterns, and how do you solve this problem of adaptive interfaces?
Have an object-oriented design?

Any suggestions are welcome,
Pieter.
<groen@vnet.ibm.com>