In October 2016, Theodora Landgren of A2Z Global gave a presentation to the STC-PMC about best practices and common issues regarding global translation, localization, and cultural consideration practices with corporate clients. It's not just about words, but images, colors, and other UX considerations as well! She detailed various processes and answered questions at the live presentation.

1. That’s What You Think!
Theodora Landgren
A2Z Global
Global Translation & Interpreting
Services
856 833 0220 or www.a2zglobal.com
STC-PMC October 2016
www.a2zglobal.com

2. 1. Provide complete project
planning and preparation
2. Allocate resources, scheduling
3. Develop/translate terminology
4. Terminology review and in-
country approval
5. Product training if necessary
6. File preparation - use of
translation tools
7. Translate/edit software
8. Compile, build, test, and client
review
9. Text translation and editing
10. Desktop publishing (or other),
graphics requirements,
proofread, client review
11. QA procedures throughout
project
www.a2zglobal.com
The Mystery Process

3. Internal L10N Process

4. Software
DTP
Document
DTP
DTP
Process
Localized
Document
Integrity Check
Right to Left
Languages
Left to Right
Languages
Special Instructions
(From client)
Legacy Instructions
Pass Team
Assignment
Bi-directional /
Others
Team
European
Team
Asian
Team
Central
European
Team
Cyrillic
Team
VC, VB
PowerBuilder
Microsoft .NET 3.5
Enhanced WPF
Oracle® 11..etc
FramMaker
MS Office
InDesign
PageMaker
Quark..etc
PhotoShop
Illustrator
Flash
AutoCAD
DreamWeaver ..etc
Graphics
DTP QC
Visual
Check
Fail
Functional
Check
Fail
Pass
QA
Pass
Legacy
Check
Test
Publish
Pass
Fail
Fail
Production Mgt.
Sign Off
Pass
Fail (Back to PM)
Client ReviewPass
Fail
Out to PM
A2Z DTP Task Assignment Chart
(ver. 2009- 09b)
©A2Z Global LLC 2009

5. 1.We take language for granted
2.It is fundamental to our humanity
3.Children acquire it effortlessly – they
hard-wire it
4.We lose that ability as adults
5. Symbols & Icons
Graphics
Legal & Financial
Product / function availability
References
Expert
People
Places
6. Linguistic
Target market & audience
7. Technical Adaptation or re-
engineering with desktop
publishing, audio, video, integration
& testing, QA (linguistic and
functional)
8. Cultural
Local knowledge, metaphors,
ethnicity, role & gender models,
behavioural norms, graphics, icons
9. Content
Language pairs, pedagogical
methods, level of literacy - defogging
www.a2zglobal.com
The Message is Simple + Considerations

6. www.a2zglobal.com
Language Expansion
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Chinese
Hebrew
Arabic
Swahili
Hindi
Esperanto
Swedish
English
Farsi
Finnish
German
Italian
Portuguese
French
Hungarian
Japanese
Russian
Czech
Spanish
Korean
Dutch
Greek
% Expansion WRT English

7. Examples of Language Expansion

8. Cultural Considerations
• Digital Literacy
• Gesture
• Currency
• Humor
• Fashion
• Interests
• Gender & Ethnicity
• Color
• Religion
• Idioms
Color Western Europe
& USA
China Japan Middle East
Danger, Anger,
Stop
Joy, Festive
Occasions
Anger, Danger Danger
Caution,
Cowardice
Honour,
Royalty
Grace, Nobility,
Childish, Gaiety
Jealousy
Safe, Sour, Go Youth,
Growth
Future, Youth,
Energy
Fertility,
Strength
Purity, Virtue Mourning,
Humility
Death, Mourning Purity, Virtue
Masculinity,
Calm, Authority
Strength,
Power
Villainy Calm
Death, Evil Evil Evil Evil, Mourning

9. Lift or Elevator? ISO site ref…
www.a2zglobal.com

10. Tap or Faucet?
www.a2zglobal.com

11. Never underestimate the importance of local
knowledge
EGYPT
Be
patient
GREECE
That‘s just perfect
ITALY
What exactlydo youmean?

12. ISO References
• About ISO
• ISO is the International Organization for Standardization.
• It has a membership of 164 national standards bodies from countries large and small,
• industrialized, developing and in transition, in all regions of the world.
• ISO’s portfolio of more than 19 400 standards provides business, government and society with
• practical tools for economic, environmental and societal dimensions of sustainable development.
• ISO/COPOLCO has developed this leaflet to raise public awareness of ISO graphical symbols which
• transmit safety messages and other important information without creating language barriers.
• About ISO/COPOLCO
• The ISO Committee on consumer policy (ISO/COPOLCO) is ISO’s forum for promoting consumers’
• interests in standardization. Its purpose is to focus input of consumers’ views into ISO’s policies,
• procedures, standards and services, and to help consumers around the world benefit from
• standardization.
• For further reference, see “Shapes and colours” on page 27, and “References and useful Websites”
• on page 33.
• http://www.iso.org/iso/graphical-symbols_booklet.pdf
www.a2zglobal.com

13. Integrity - REFERENCES
Project management skills
Technical and linguistic expertise
Dedication to quality
Ability to meet schedules
Capacity to handle workload peaks
Efficient, cost effective
Adaptability to your processes
Hardware, software and network
resources
www.a2zglobal.com
What to Look for in a Vendor

14. Tell me all!
• Your translators
• Your processes
• Your specialties
• Word counts
• Your strengths (and weaknesses)
• Assurances – big vs.less big - insurance
• References
• Looking for love…
www.a2zglobal.com