Bakeries Across Borders:
A Digital & Cultural Comparison
A cross-cultural analysis of bakery websites through digital strategy, UX, and communication
Introduction
For my Master’s in International Communication & Technology, I dedicated a year to exploring how something as universal as bread could reveal deep cultural differences when translated online. My thesis, Boulangeries en France et aux États-Unis, looked at how bakeries present themselves on the web — from their websites to their storytelling — and what this says about the cultures they come from.
This project was both academic and practical: it combined cultural research with UX workshops, website analysis, and digital prototyping. The goal wasn’t only to compare design styles but to understand how values, traditions, and customer expectations shape communication in different societies. In the end, I built two website prototypes — one for the French market, one for the American — each adapted to the cultural codes I discovered.
From Idea to Execution
Key Findings
The contrast was striking. In France, bread is heritage: websites emphasize authenticity, craftsmanship, and continuity. In the United States, bread is lifestyle: websites highlight ethics, health trends, and brand personality. These differences reflect not just design choices but cultural priorities: tradition versus identity, heritage versus lifestyle.
By translating these findings into two prototypes, I demonstrated how design and communication can be culturally tailored. The French version celebrated tradition and detail, while the American version was modern, bold, and brand-driven.
The Research
We studied ten bakery websites: five French, five American, and analyzed their structure, visuals, and content. Alongside this, I immersed myself in the cultural backdrop: the French heritage of compagnonnage and artisanal savoir-faire, versus the American focus on entrepreneurship, lifestyle, and innovation.
To test these insights, we organized UX research with bakers and customers, using interviews, photolangage, and user tests. These sessions showed how French consumers expect websites to highlight tradition, product authenticity, and detailed information, while American consumers look for convenience, lifestyle cues, and strong brand identity.
The team:
Elisa Cardona
Stefan Dinu
Cassandra Xaysanasy
This thesis was more than an academic exercise; it was a lesson in how design, communication, and culture are inseparable. By comparing French and American bakeries online, I saw how values translate into websites, how users interact differently across cultures, and how a product as simple as bread can tell complex stories. Today, these insights guide the way I think about campaigns: whether it’s paid acquisition or UX, context and culture always shape results.
Conclusion
Beyond the bakery world, this thesis taught me how digital communication is always cultural communication. The process strengthened my skills in research, intercultural analysis, project management, and UX design. It showed me how to move from theory to practice, from analyzing cultural codes to actually building websites that embody them.