First why: love typography, different alphabets, and languages which I cannot read, hard copy books, and everything old, very old and new, love technology and the link between old and new aesthetics, the real, tangible world which I can touch, smell, see, hear and sense and digital world, which for now I can only see and hear and maybe when the UX/UI is good I can sense intuitively.
Becoming a Member of the National Library of Ireland is a precious adventure, driven by a bookworm personality, categorisation, organisation and classification mind, intellectual curiosity of the world around, having my blue pixel-perfect eyes directed the prize, which in this case is an interest of extraordinary in my opinion activities original and worth it and Free of Charge. 💸
This is a billionaire mindset worthy every penny and cent. Wisdom of Choices. Smart Choices.
Designing products with human-centered design (HCD) principles involves considering the needs, preferences, and limitations of users. In the context of UX/UI design, accessibility across languages is crucial for ensuring inclusivity. When designing for global audiences, special attention must be given to linguistic differences, such as those between Latin-based alphabets (e.g., English) and non-Latin scripts like Hebrew, which affect the direction of reading and interface layout.
1. Understanding the Challenges of Language and Script Differences
Bidirectionality: Hebrew is written and read from right to left (RTL), in contrast to English's left-to-right (LTR) orientation. This fundamental difference impacts interface design, particularly in navigation, content alignment, and text flow.
Script Characteristics: The Hebrew alphabet, unlike Latin scripts, does not use uppercase and lowercase distinctions, and it has a different typographical structure. The script is generally more square and uniform, which affects the visual weight and balance in design. This requires careful consideration of font selection and spacing.
Cultural Context: Hebrew manuscripts, especially those available in the National Library of Ireland, provide insight into the cultural and historical context of the language. These manuscripts reflect a deep respect for textual integrity and aesthetic presentation, which can inform modern design choices, such as the importance of clarity, legibility, and the integration of cultural motifs.
Tools: Example: A Hebrew-English keyboard is a crucial tool for bilingual users who navigate between these two languages. This dual-language keyboard allows users to seamlessly switch between Hebrew and English typing, accommodating the right-to-left script of Hebrew and the left-to-right script of English. Keyboards typically feature both Hebrew and Latin characters, often with Hebrew letters in blue and English letters in white. The layout is designed to facilitate quick transitions, enabling users to communicate effectively in both languages without the need to switch devices or keyboards. For designers, considering the functionality and ergonomics of a Hebrew-English keyboard is essential when developing user interfaces that support multilingual input, ensuring that users can interact fluidly with the product in both languages.
2. Incorporating Human-Centered Design Principles
User Research: Understanding the target audience is critical. For global products, this means conducting research with diverse user groups, including native speakers of Hebrew and Latin-based languages. Gathering insights from these groups can reveal how different scripts impact usability and accessibility.
Design for Bidirectionality: For products intended for both LTR and RTL languages, the design must accommodate both directions seamlessly. This includes mirrored layouts, dynamic content adjustment, and adaptable navigation systems. Referencing Hebrew manuscripts, one can observe the natural flow and organization of text, which can inspire similar fluidity in digital design.
Typography and Font Choices: Hebrew scripts often require fonts that are specially designed to maintain readability and aesthetic appeal. Drawing from the manuscripts, designers can learn how different styles (e.g., cursive vs. block letters) impact readability and should apply this understanding to select or create fonts that enhance the user experience.
Responsive Design: Products must be responsive to different screen sizes and orientations, considering how Hebrew text might reflow or require different line heights and spacing compared to Latin scripts. The manuscripts showcase how text blocks and layouts were managed in physical space, which can inform how digital text should be handled in varying digital contexts.
Signs and calls to action (CTAs): in digital interfaces play a crucial role in guiding users towards desired outcomes. In English, CTAs are typically designed with clear, direct language, often positioned on the left side of the screen due to the left-to-right reading direction. In Hebrew, however, CTAs must accommodate the right-to-left reading flow, which means they are usually aligned on the right side and crafted with culturally appropriate language that resonates with Hebrew-speaking users. Designing effective CTAs in both languages requires understanding these directional differences and ensuring that the message remains clear and actionable for all users, regardless of language.
Iconography and symbolism: When designing iconography and symbolism for a bilingual interface in Hebrew and English, it’s important to create visuals that are universally recognizable while also resonating with native speakers of each language. In English interfaces, icons and symbols often follow Western conventions, such as arrows pointing right for "next" or "forward." In Hebrew, where the reading direction is right-to-left, these conventions might be reversed, with arrows pointing left. To merge these visual elements effectively for both native and international users, designers should use culturally neutral icons whenever possible—symbols that transcend language, like a magnifying glass for "search" or a shopping cart for "buy." Additionally, it’s crucial to consider the cultural significance of certain symbols; for instance, colours or shapes that might carry specific meanings in Hebrew-speaking cultures. By balancing these universal symbols with culturally specific touches, designers can create an interface that feels intuitive and welcoming to all users, regardless of their language or cultural background.
3. Creating Global Products: Best Practices
Localised Content: Beyond mere translation, localisation involves adapting content to fit cultural contexts. For Hebrew, this might include respecting religious sensitivities or idiomatic expressions. The manuscripts often contain notes or annotations that provide context, which can inspire the inclusion of context-aware help or information in digital products.
Consistency Across Languages: Maintaining a consistent user experience across languages is challenging but essential. The design must ensure that features, navigation, and functionality are coherent, regardless of the language. The manuscripts show how consistency in formatting and layout was achieved, despite linguistic differences, providing a template for modern applications.
Testing with Native Speakers: Before launching, it’s crucial to test the product with native speakers of both Hebrew and Latin-script languages. This helps identify any usability issues that might arise due to linguistic differences. Manuscripts were often reviewed and corrected by scribes, indicating the importance of iteration and refinement.
4. Conclusion: Lessons from Hebrew Manuscripts in UX/UI Design
The Hebrew manuscripts in the National Library of Ireland offer valuable lessons in maintaining the integrity and accessibility of text across different contexts. These historical documents emphasize the importance of respecting the structure and flow of language, which is directly applicable to modern UX/UI design. By drawing on these insights, designers can create products that are not only accessible but also deeply respectful of the cultural and linguistic nuances that define user experience in different languages.
By taking a human-centered approach, informed by both contemporary research and historical reference, UX/UI designers can craft digital products that resonate with a global audience, ensuring accessibility and usability across languages and cultures.
More on the topic of LTR and RTL of UX and UI is coming. Footnote:
Are you interested in delving deeper into language and alphabet research, beginning with books in the physical realm, and then transitioning to create a meaningful user interface experience for your products? Visit and Become Member of National Library of Ireland:
Or find a similar space in your local area. Give a rest to your eyes from the screens. If ever in Israel, why not go to the National Library of Israel? https://www.nli.org.il/en
Images Source:
Wix, Unsplash, National Library of Ireland, National Library of Isreal.
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