a SciTechnol journal Research Article Schuster, J Comput Eng Inf Technol 2021, 10:6 Journal of Computer Engineering & Information Technology All articles published in Journal of Computer Engineering & Information Technology are the property of SciTechnol, and is protected by copyright laws. Copyright © 2021, SciTechnol, All Rights Reserved. International Publisher of Science, Technology and Medicine Cultural Infuence on Mobile App Design-A Theoretical Review of Culture Theories and Their Infuence on App Design in China Nico Schuster* Abstract The objective of this paper is to provide a theoretical overview if and how national culture infuences the design of mobile applications especially in comparison of typical Western and Chinese market. First classic culture theories by Hofstede and Trompenaars will be analysed to examine which dimensions might have potential infuence in app design. Additionally, the factor colour will be examined as diferent cultures perceive colours in a diferent way. The conclusion on the possible impact of culture on the design of mobile applications explains why culture plays such an important role on mobile application design. Keywords Cultural Dimensions; Mobile App Design; National Culture. JEL Classifcation: M14, F23, M16, L86. *Corresponding author: Nico Schuster, Department of Management, Comenius University, Odbojárov 10, 820 05 Bratislava, Slovakia, Tel.: 0049 172 622 3952, E-mail: schuster8@uniba.sk Received: May 17, 2021 Accepted: June 04, 2021 Published: June 11, 2021 Introduction In this global village, culture or in this case national culture is a crucial issue that guides application developers and designers to create collaborative applications. Mobile applications (apps) are programs used for specifc purposes. Presently, mobile apps provide content and services to individual users and serve as representatives of company brands. China is one of the countries with the largest mobile application markets in the world. Te number of Chinese netizens has massively increased over the years, with the majority using smartphones to access and use the internet [1]. If national culture afects mobile app design is therefore a crucial question not only for local developers but also for brands trying to enter Chinese market. Te aim of this paper is to review why and how current cultural theories e.g., by Hofstede and Trompenaars are useful in understanding the concept of culture and how the cultural theories as well as additional factors like the usage of colour which are also very dominant in Chinese national culture infuence mobile app design in China. In the frst chapter the author will therefore review Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and how they connect to mobile app design. Te second chapter will review Trompenaars theory of cultural dimensions. Both approaches are regarded as the widely referred to cultural theories and will be reviewed against recent discussions and their potential infuence on app design. Te third chapter will highlight the cultural infuence of colour usage in China in general and on a closer look why the colour choice for app design is important and how this importance can be seen in Chinese apps. Based on the review of cultural theories and usage of colour the author will discuss the need for a diferent app design and close this paper with a recapture and conclusion. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Hofstede is one of most famous cultural theorists that suggested various dimensions to explain the concept of culture. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are an efective tool in understanding cultural diferences. It is useful in better comprehension of the efect of specifc cultures. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions include power distance, masculinity-femininity, individualism and collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and short-term and long-term orientations. Power distance dimension is the extent to which less powerful individuals expect and accept the unequal distribution of power. Power distance means that both leaders and followers have to approve the society’s measure of inequality [2]. Precisely, the power dimension is the humanity inequality in a country’s structure. For instance, in nations like China, individuals are diferentiated by their status in society. China ranks at the top in terms of power distance dimension; hence, inequalities amongst countries are acceptable. However, the association between superiors and their subordinates is contradictory [3]. High power distance individuals tend to show less favourable opinion towards experimenting with innovative technology solutions [4]. Whereas a high power distance implies that individuals have accepted a given hierarchical order and inequalities associated with it, a low power distance means that people with less power focus on equality power distribution. Te power distance dimension is useful in explaining cultural diferences in service provision [5]. Terefore, it is crucial to understand the cultural infuence on the design of mobile applications. Individualism versus collectivism is the extent to which people are integrated into social networks. Te individualism dimension explores the persons in a culture that prefer to act as individuals instead of collective group members [2]. Individualistic cultures act on their needs and desires, and importantly, make their own decisions. Specifcally, they prioritize their well-being and are responsible for themselves and their choices. Instant messaging is one of the applications that is greatly afected by cultural norms and values. Hofstede’s individualism versus collectivism dimension infuences the practice of instant messaging. For instance, Chinese users of instant messaging tend to prefer group chat options and implicit communication [6]. Notably, persons with a greater propensity for individualism tend to use online mobile services to showcase their personality and achieve personalized objectives [7]. Uncertainty avoidance afects mobile app design in that individuals exhibiting high levels of uncertainty avoidance tend to avoid ambiguous situations. Precisely, they perceive new technology to be difcult to use [7]. Collectivism refers to a cultural value indicating a robust social framework where individuals perceive the group as the primary entity. Likewise, it views the group as a critical element and people