In a world on the move, we’re not just counting steps and calories; we’re decoding heart rates, sleep patterns, measuring glucose, saturation, noise, and even stress levels. Today, wellness isn’t a mere pursuit; it’s a state of mind. It’s an elevated level of self-awareness and personal growth, creating a new reality where tiny devices seamlessly guide us to become better versions of ourselves. They help us attune to the symphony of our bodies, ensuring we get the sleep we deserve, the nutrition we need, and striking the perfect balance between rest and activity. Welcome to a reality crafted with precision, where fitness trackers are the localized architects of our well-being.
The Kenaz Approach
The path we went with the client from the start to the launch of the device range covered all stages of product localization. The heightened popularity of these devices across diverse regions prompted the strategic decision to expand the company’s market reach into Eastern Europe.
Step 1: Terminology Selection and Approval
The cornerstone of success lies in a meticulously constructed workflow. Initially, it is imperative to identify the fundamental terminology comprising frequently used words and phrases, those with specific meanings in the project context, and those designated to be left untranslated. Next, these terms undergo translation and approval by the client, with the client ultimately selecting all entries in the glossary. Properly set and agreed-upon terminology will help achieve consistency and uniformity while translating the core content. Beyond a mere list of terms, each entry necessitates additional information to pinpoint the most appropriate equivalent in the target language.
A proficient glossary encompasses several integral components:
- Context: A detailed definition provides the translator with a clear understanding of the term’s reference and usage within a sentence or phrase. This is particularly crucial in content with specific nuances, such as the fitness industry’s exercise names, which may be best clarified through accompanying videos.
- Part of speech: This component is paramount for accurate translations. In English, words often share spelling but have different meanings depending on their part of speech. Failure to indicate the part of speech can result in mistranslations.
- Untranslatable words and phrases: It is essential to include terms slated for non-translation, often encompassing product and brand names or slogans the client wishes to maintain in the source language. The “Do not translate” (DNT) mark is conventionally used to denote terms exempt from translation.
Step 2: Content for Web, iOS, and Android Applications
If a fitness tracker serves as the eyes and ears, then a mobile app functions as the brain. This is where all the magic happens: analytics, graphs, trends, statistics, and sensors, all backed up by insights, encouraging comments and creative headlines. An app harbors lots of information and features, making the translation at this stage both diverse and extensive.
Here are various creative and technical facets of localizing the overall context:
- Hiking Trails Translations: Flavored with fascinating facts about the sights of the country, translating hiking trails requires a delicate balance between proper names and transliteration. It involves presenting accurate information creatively, inspiring users to embark on a journey. For example, Kyoto’s Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is magical. Photos can’t capture how the light diffuses through the endless, thick green stalks.
- Achievement Award Names: The interpretation of achievement awards, such as Rocket Boot, Do-Gooder, or Genie Shoe, demands adapted wordplay for a lively touch.
- Motivational Phrases: Translating motivational and encouraging phrases poses the challenge of sounding original, natural, easy, and relaxed. Examples include U.F.OOOOH! Yee-haw! You’re a stepping machine! Great Scott! Woot Woot! Qwwwwyeach!
- Matching Nouns with Variables: Recognizing the uniqueness of each language, especially in flective languages with multiple noun forms based on numerals, ensures an accurate and fluent translation. Adding specific syntax extensions during content development will allow the translators to use all language assets and produce the most natural translation.
- Addressing Gender and Case Variation: Considerations for different genders and case variations, where variable or placeholder pointers are available, ensure grammatical conformity. Some languages express gender through endings, requiring adjacent words to adjust their grammatical form. Incorporating descriptors in the translation helps convey the meaning while maintaining grammatical coherence.
The translated content for mobile and desktop applications must meticulously consider language nuances. The app serves as a crucial means of interacting with consumers, being the primary source of content and the user’s main tool.
Step 3: Localization of the Device Interface
Undoubtedly, translating a user interface is a complex and time-intensive process, demanding functionality, informativeness, and an intuitive, user-friendly design. Countless nuances come up during translation and subsequent testing.
- Word length: Texts in English or Chinese tend to be shorter than their counterparts in Russian, Ukrainian, or German. Thus, brevity is paramount. Optimal localization prioritizes functionality over word-for-word translation, emphasizing clarity and common sense.
- Date and time localization: The time format requires adaptation to the region and time zone, considering variations such as the 12-hour versus 24-hour time format. Date formats also vary, necessitating attention to month and weekday translations, capitalization, abbreviation, and the sequence in the full date.
- Localization of numeric values: Adhering to International Standards recommends using a non-breaking space to separate digit groups, but in the United States, a comma is conventionally used.
- Localization of units of measurement: Consistency in the system of units of measurement is essential for user familiarity, ensuring they can interpret speed and distance without resorting to a calculator for conversions.
- Abbreviations: Localizing interface abbreviations should adhere to widely accepted norms, aiming for clarity and straightforwardness for the target users.
- Local peculiarities and idioms: Translating well-established expressions requires a nuanced understanding to convey the right idea and tone convincingly and ingeniously in the target language. Some metaphors, such as take the time in the “Thanks for taking the time to practice,” are impossible to translate directly.
Step 4: Translation of Documentation and Manuals
The focal point of translating device-specific help manuals lies in precisely aligning interface elements with their corresponding functions. In such instances, relying solely on the glossary may prove insufficient. So, we employ the translation memory search to find the name of the translation element and select the desired option. For instance, consider a manual instruction: To enable the Always-on display, go to Settings on your device. This mandates that the translation for Settings and Always-on display mirrors the actual names of the buttons on the device itself.
Step 5: Localization Testing Based on Screenshots
At this stage, the client forwards screenshots of the translated content from the devices. This method of testing, while commonplace, is meticulous, aiming to enhance the product to the highest standards. The linguist’s role extends beyond correcting specific errors to investigating their nature and implementing comprehensive improvements. Key aspects evaluated in this task include:
- No truncated text—Verify that text isn’t truncated, opting for a shorter version or abbreviation when necessary.
- Assessing placement of translated elements— Examine the arrangement of translated elements, considering line breaks, splits into several lines, and font changes.
- Relevance to context—Confirm the translation fits the context and is aligned with the surrounding text.
- Incorporation of localized formats—Verify that localized units of measurement, time, and date formats are tailored to the target country or region.
- Checking grammar and punctuation—Review grammar and punctuation, including proper usage of commas and periods in numerical values.
- Evaluating functional clarity—Assess the functionality of localized content, particularly the clarity of function or button names.
- Generating issues report—Summarize functional problems in a report with insights on fixing them.
Step 6: Localization Testing on Devices
Once the screenshot testing is completed and all suggested fixes and improvements are incorporated into the next version of the software, our team performs testing on devices provided by the client for this purpose. This marks the most thrilling phase of the journey, as the entire team’s contributions now manifest tangibly. The comprehensive testing encompasses the mobile application, interface elements on the device, and the corresponding reference documentation.
The testing process includes:
- Installing the application on a mobile device and completing the registration process.
- Pairing a fitness tracker with a phone to ensure seamless connectivity.
- Verifying the elements of the app interface for accuracy and functionality.
- Confirming the accuracy and functionality of the interface elements on the fitness tracker.
- Launching and testing all functions on the device in real-life settings, including training, sleep monitoring, heart rate and stress monitoring, breathing exercises, participating in competitions, and other available features.
- Collecting, recording, and describing any identified problems encountered during testing.
- Providing analyzed data to the client for a comprehensive overview of the testing results.
Step 7: Product Support
The allure of fitness trackers’ popularity stems from their ability to understand us better than we do ourselves, motivating us to lead more active lives and take pride in our achievements. This underscores the significance of updates in the smart device life cycle, as they continually enhance our assistants with each new version. Our team diligently updates the content daily, maintaining a steadfast commitment to the refined and approved terminology.
Why Kenaz
At Kenaz, we unravel the secret to a triumphantly localized product. It’s straightforward:
- Users Choose Convenience: Users opt for the software version tailored to their device in their native language.
- Immediate Accessibility: Users acquire instant accessibility, eliminating the need to scour the internet for translations to unlock all features.
- Market Success and Popularity: The product achieves robust sales and popularity by tailoring the localized version to encompass the target audience’s buying habits.
- Enhanced User Support: User support is delivered in their native language, significantly elevating the product’s rating.
- Enduring User Satisfaction: Users embrace the localized version, eschewing a return to the original, reveling in content presented in their language on both the device and the app.