Things you (possibly) forgot to think about when going global

When localizing a website or app, text translations are just the beginning. Each market has its own unique culture and nuances that must be considered. Tailoring every detail to resonate with local users is crucial for effective UX design, ensuring they feel at home.

Summary

• Cultural factor: Western norm is not the universal norm

• Content: bending design until it breaks

• Directionality: not just flipping your UI

• Values formatting: going the extra mile/kilometer

• Translations: the right tools for the right people

Cultural factor: Western norm is not the universal norm

Browsing websites from Asian countries reveals that information presentation can vary greatly from Western norms. Many cultures favor a holistic approach, resulting in denser and more compact layouts.

Image: Digital Creative Asia

Additionally, the meaning of colors differ widely across cultures. While red is commonly associated with danger and risk in Western cultures, it holds no particular meaning or a completely different connotation elsewhere. For example in China, red often refers to luck.

Iconography and visuals are also not universal. There are well-known instances of icon misinterpretation, such as Amazon's magnifying glass icon, which was seen as a table tennis racket in India. The choice of photos is equally important matter for the message you are sending. Some cultures emphasize on groups while others focus on particular individuals.

These examples underscore the importance of verifying your designs with local audiences to ensure they resonate and communicate effectively.

Content: bending design until it breaks

When adjusting text appearance, it's important to remember that not all alphabets are created equal. For instance, Arabic text can become unreadable with extra letter spacing or bold fonts. Conversely, Asian languages like Thai or Chinese require to maintain standard line heights to prevent text overlap.

Tight line spacing doesn't bode well with Chinese. (iOS app created by Source for Moët Hennessy)

Text size can also vary significantly across languages. On average, translating an English sentence into another language can result in a 30% change in length. Consider German words like "Nahrungsmittelunverträglichkeit" ("food intolerance"), which can disrupt your layout.

Fortunately, modern design tools like Figma offer features such as autolayout and useful plugins like Localize. These tools help ensure your designs are flexible enough to accommodate various types of content and allow you to test them instantly by switching languages.

Directionality: not just flipping your UI

Designing for right-to-left (RTL) languages like Arabic and Hebrew requires more than just mirroring your existing layout. A simplistic flip can overlook critical details and lead to a subpar user experience.

Every visual element that conveys direction needs careful adjustment. Icons, in particular, require special attention to ensure they point in the correct direction in an RTL context, with a few exceptions. For example, a clock with a circled arrow remains unchanged to preserve the natural clockwise motion.

Addressing these nuances ensures that your design is intuitive and effective for RTL readers, maintaining the integrity and usability of your UI.

Letter spacing do's and don'ts for Arabic. (Design System created by Source for Abu Dhabi Executive Office)

Values formatting: going the extra mile/kilometer

Technical tools have long existed to localize values like dates, amounts, and number formats, but these tools often don't cover every detail and leave room for improvement. For example, name formats vary; in China, the last name comes before the first name. In Japan and Thailand, polite suffixes should be used appropriately.

While the Gregorian calendar is the international standard, many countries still use their own calendars daily, such as the Buddhist or Hindu calendars.

Measurement systems can also differ, with the familiar divide between the American and metric systems. In some cases, countries have unique measurement rules for specific areas. For instance, Thailand still uses its traditional measurement units for land area.

Understanding and accommodating these differences is crucial for creating a truly localized user experience.

Translations: the right tools for the right people

Multilingual content can cover various areas of a solution. One must choose the adequate tool.

For some cases, a simple spreadsheet, combined with technical conversion it into a static translation file, can efficiently handle website languages. For more dynamic needs, an online tool can provide the necessary flexibility for administrators to edit messages as required.

In some situations, automating translations with a third-party service is essential, especially for user-generated content. For example, Digitomenu, a Japanese service for restaurant owners developed by Source, includes a translation service for menus into Korean and English, utilizing the DeepL API. Choosing the right tools ensures efficient and accurate translations across various content types.

Translation interface for restaurants (Digitomenu web dashboard)

Conclusion

While English often serves as the common denominator for going global, businesses that prioritize customer experience, especially in the ultra-luxury sector, will tailor their solutions to fit local markets.

Tools and methods continue to improve each year, making it easier to handle complex use cases. Design Language Systems (DLS) offer a powerful solution for maintaining design consistency while allowing adjustments for cultural nuances. With rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, we can expect new tools that manage RTL icons, enhance content and style checks, and ensure a consistent experience across all markets.

However, extensive design research and testing are still essential to achieve the best cultural and technical fit for any service.