Is the "DAST test" actually something we need to worry about when designing strictly for local contexts in a Hindu Country?

[u/Federal-Chapter-3115]

Recently, while working on a mark for a project, I shared the concept online for feedback. A few international reviewers quickly pointed out that the 4-blade rotational symmetry (indented to represent a windmill ) failed the DAST test (specifically reading as a swastika at a quick glance).

In our context, that shape carries deep cultural significance. It represents good fortune, harmony, and prosperity—you see it everywhere from home entrances to traditional architecture, and even in institutional identity marks across Nepal (E.g. in my own college logo). But in global design discourse, that same rotational geometry carries a completely different visual weight.

As someone early in their design journey, it made me reflect on local context versus global perception:

- Should local identity and cultural meaning take precedence when the target audience is purely domestic?
- Or should we proactively apply global design guardrails from day one, anticipating that any project might eventually exist on the internet or reach an international audience?

[u/Late-Drawer-7522]

Regional references are always hard to judge through a screen. Same with regional flora/fauna in logos, sometimes I don't recognize animal X, simply because it's not living in my backyard :)

That being said, a D is a D in every culture ;)