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art of the global gateway

ADP’s global gateway combines globe and flag icons

November 3, 2011 by John Yunker

Payroll services company ADP demonstrates that you don’t necessarily have to choose between using a flag icon or using a globe icon on your global gateway. As shown below, the …

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Categories Global navigation, Web Globalization

Global gateway notes: Guidewire, Google, Locaria

April 1, 2013October 2, 2011 by John Yunker

One of the many things I love about global gateways is that I never stop discovering new ones. Here are notes on a few gateways I’ve stumbled across over the past …

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Categories Global navigation, Google, Web Globalization

IBM: A tale of two global gateways

March 31, 2013August 22, 2011 by John Yunker

IBM, much to my chagrin, has used a lengthy pull-down menu as its global gateway for years. Here’s what it looks like: There are two problems with this menu, the …

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Categories Global navigation, Web Globalization

The Mr. Potato Head global gateway

June 8, 2011 by John Yunker

I was happy to discover recently that a toy that I loved as a child — Mr. Potato Head — is still alive and well. Not only that, but Mr. …

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Categories Global navigation

3M: Many brands sharing one global gateway

May 31, 2011 by John Yunker

3M finished in the top 10 of the 2011 Web Globalization Report Card. Its global gateway strategy is one reason why it scored so highly. But what’s particularly impressive about 3M …

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Categories Books, Global navigation

Delta’s global gateway: When complexity kills

February 28, 2017May 17, 2011 by John Yunker

I’m always amazed when I come across global gateways that I find complicated in my native language. Like Delta Airline‘s global gateway. What you see here is not one but …

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Categories Delta Airlines, Global navigation, Travel companies, Web Globalization, Web Globalization Report Card

An artistic global gateway

May 10, 2011 by John Yunker

How’s this for a visibly engaging global gateway: It’s the landing page for Protest Boardwear — a Netherlands-based clothing outfit. Unfortunately, the map itself isn’t clickable, which violates a cardinal …

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Categories Global navigation

Dear Airbnb: Please take down your mutant flag

February 28, 2017April 6, 2011 by John Yunker

Airbnb is one of the hot new travel web service startups. It basically lets you rent out your spare bedroom or look for a spare bedroom when you travel. That’s …

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Categories Airbnb, Global navigation, Travel companies, Web Globalization Report Card

Microsoft launches a new global gateway

March 29, 2011 by John Yunker

I’m happy to see Microsoft launch a new global gateway on its home page. Here’s a detailed view: Notice how the country/region options are all nicely presented in the native languages. …

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Categories Global navigation, Microsoft

Is Apple giving up on flags?

October 28, 2010 by John Yunker

Apple has been using flags as part of its global gateway for many years. In 2006, Apple’s global gateway was positioned in the footer and featured a different flag for …

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Categories Apple, Global navigation, Reports

Going Global Gracefully

June 21, 2010 by John Yunker

A great quote from an interview with Tarun Khanna and Krishna G. Palepu, authors of the new book Winning in Emerging Markets: Multinationals based in developed countries as well as …

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Categories Business globalization

Minimalism in global gateways

November 18, 2009 by John Yunker

A global gateway doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, it shouldn’t be fancy. It should be as easy to understand as a stop sign. Form and function and nothing …

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Categories Global navigation, Web Globalization

Global gateways don’t have to be complicated

October 20, 2009 by John Yunker

The Visit Korea tourism web site offers up a global gateway that’s difficult to ignore: I like it. The languages are presented in the native scripts. The user has to …

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Categories Global navigation, Web Globalization

Three rules of global gateway design

September 21, 2009 by John Yunker

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about global gateways — those landing pages and header elements that companies use to direct visitors to localized web sites. I came across one …

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Categories Global navigation, Web Globalization

Is this the next language icon?

April 23, 2009 by John Yunker

Does this icon say “language” to you? It doesn’t to me. But the OMC design studio feels so strongly about it that it has launched a web site to promote …

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Categories Apple, Global navigation, Languages, Microsoft
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