The World is Flat. We've heard it time and time again-globalization means we can go anywhere, talk to anyone, virtually experience every corner of the world at a moment's notice. Designers know this well; when they aren't on planes, trains or automobiles, they can often be found on a conference call with a client halfway across the globe, or researching materials and customs native to a climate and place it may have been unthinkable to even visit twenty years ago. With IIDA members now working in 58 countries around the world, Perspective convenes a roundtable of geographically diverse designers to talk about the unique challenges of working abroad, the most rewarding and surprising things about being an expat, and how to navigate everything from culture shock to not speaking the native tongue. (Hint: design is a universal language.) PERSPECTIVE 47