What happens when culture meets design? You get two very different design approaches, and West vs. East UIUX is a great example of this.
To illustrate this, our designers, Diyana and Aisha, took a closer look at several well-known e-commerce platforms in:
- The West (like those in the US and UK) and,
- The East (primarily East and Southeast Asia)
And noted their UI/UX differences because understanding them could change the way you think about designing for a global audience.
1. Visual Design & Aesthetics
The West: Less is more
Minimalism with simplicity and functionality takes importance on Western e-commerce sites.
They tend to have lower information density and more organized homepages, focusing on ample whitespace and a clear visual hierarchy.
Visual elements (flashing banners, promotional graphics) would sometimes crowd the layout.
Mainly to attract attention and encourage user engagement. But, never too many that it hurts the user experience.
The East: Packed and informational
In the East, e-commerce websites are usually more vibrant and dense with information.
Eastern online shoppers are used to scanning dense information quickly to speed up their purchase decision-making process.
As a result, e-commerce sites in the region tend to display more information on a single screen, reflecting a preference for content-rich and visually engaging interfaces.
2. Gamification & Engagement
Gamification is a design strategy that applies game-design elements and principles to non-game contexts.
This engagement strategy has been increasingly leveraged in digital products on varying intensities suited for the respective hemispheres.
But, how do they manifest in West vs. East UIUX?
The West: Only when it’s fitting
True to its minimalistic approach, Western digital platforms utilize gamification more selectively.
Gamification in the West takes the form of loyalty programs or occasional promotions rather than games or interactive challenges like their Eastern counterparts.
This is likely because Western consumers prioritize convenience, efficiency, and practicality in their shopping experience.
The East: Play to pay less
On the other hand, Eastern e-commerce platforms heavily integrate gamification into their user experiences.
With an emphasis on enhancing user engagement and retention, gamification is leveraged to encourage users to participate in games, challenges, or social features.
In return, users receive discounts, coupons, or loyalty points that can be used during checkout.
It has become a popular strategy in Eastern e-commerce due to its alignment with cultural preferences and its ability to help brands stand out in the competitive Eastern e-commerce ecosystem.
The West: Clear & simple paths
Western apps typically use straightforward navigation with fewer layers.
They prefer simplicity and directness, making it easier for users to access core functions.
The example below draws a picture of the structure of most Western e-commerce platforms:
A simple bottom navigation bar with a few key features (example below) ensures a streamlined user experience.
- A welcoming and reliable search bar at the top
- Category tabs at the top of the page (or hidden in a hamburger menu)
- A simple bottom navigation bar limited to 4 or fewer options
The East: Maze of features & routes
Whereas Eastern apps often adopt indirect and complex navigation structures due to multifunctional app ecosystems, also known as “super apps.”
Super apps combine services such as social, payment, e-commerce, and more.
This results in Asian e-commerce apps’ emphasis on multi-layered navigation with numerous categories, subcategories, and filters.
The navigation is often dynamic and changes based on user behavior and preferences.
Meaning users can browse and shop in 1001 ways and discover offerings as they explore the app more.
4. Promotional Presentation
The West: Understated and respects users
In the West, designs for promotions are less intrusive and flashy.
This approach, to the best of our knowledge, aligns with Western consumers’ preferences for subtlety, where user control and autonomy are the top priorities.
Flashy and aggressive promotions can come across as pushy and annoying.
As a result, promotions are integrated seamlessly into the user experience, offering a guided presentation.
This also reflects the region’s regulatory environment, where transparency and trustworthiness are key.
The East: Won’t miss a promo ever again
In contrast, Eastern e-commerce sites often crowd their platforms with visually loud and in-your-face promotional graphics to attract attention in a crowded digital environment.
From the flashing banners, countdowns, and bright graphics, being visually loud equates to boldness, which is culturally accepted in the East (think of the use of red in Chinese culture, for example).
It creates a sense of excitement and urgency that is often effective in driving purchases.
Though it might seem manipulative, Eastern consumers openly welcome promotions as they’re more economical with their money, as far as we can tell.
They see sales and “limited-time offers” as a way to save more money.
5. Payment Experience
The West: Traditional and familiar options
In the West, banking institutions and card payments are often the preferred payment options.
It’s been the dominant form of payment for decades.
Consumers are more trusting of it, making other payment forms slower in mainstream adoption.
However, some country outliers provide additional payment services like Pay Later. Yet, they are still not as comprehensive or diverse as the East.
The East: Diverse and endless options
You can never run out of payment options on Eastern e-commerce sites.
If cash is unavailable, there are bank transfers, QR payments, credit cards, and Pay Later options—the sky’s the limit.
As the East comprises multiple countries, each payment ecosystem is personalized to the existing financial infrastructures in each country.
Despite this personalization, every e-commerce platform would offer users diverse payment options to support the shopping experience.
And lately, digital wallets have increasingly been introduced within e-commerce sites, especially with the prevalence of SuperApps.
When East Meets West: Temu and Shein
Temu and Shein are an interesting case study for Chinese e-commerce platforms that are heavily targeting and marketed to consumers in the West (especially in North America).
And these platforms serve as real-world examples of how West vs. East UIUX principles can be blended to appeal to a global audience.
At a glance at their UIs, you can tell Temu and Shein are Asian shopping platforms, but they are not OVERWHELMINGLY Asian.
Somehow, they have adapted their UI/UX, marketing strategies, and product offerings to better suit the preferences and expectations of Western audiences.
For example, product categories are displayed on a single page (West), but still retains the exploration-based approaches (search bar/browsing via multiple pathways) common in Asian platforms.
A few other notable adjustments include:
- High information density layout (East), but presented with more white space (West)
- Subtle integration (West) of gamification elements (East)
- Simplified checkout process and limited payment options (West)
Global Designs: A Snappymob Specialty
The contrasts in West vs. East UIUX highlight the profound influence of culture on digital design and online consumer behavior.
Understanding this is important for UI/UX designers to create localized experiences that resonate with diverse global audiences.
As this article illustrates, Snappymob’s UX/UI designers are well-informed about the design philosophies and strategies of the Western and Eastern markets.
We’ve tailored designs to fit diverse global audiences, making us the ideal partner for your next project.