UX Design For Government Websites

🌎 Designing Cross-Cultural And Multi-Lingual UX. Guidelines on how to stress test our designs, how to define a localization strategy and how to deal with currencies, dates, word order, pluralization, colors and gender pronouns. ⦿ Translation: “We adapt our message to resonate in other markets”. ⦿ Localization: “We adapt user experience to local expectations”. ⦿ Internationalization: “We adapt our codebase to work in other markets”. ✅ English-language users make up about 26% of users. ✅ Top written languages: Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese. ✅ Most users prefer content in their native language(s). ✅ French texts are on average 20% longer than English ones. ✅ Japanese texts are on average 30–60% shorter. 🚫 Flags aren’t languages: avoid them for language selection. 🚫 Language direction ≠ design direction (“F” vs. Zig-Zag pattern). 🚫 Not everybody has first/middle names: “Full name” is better. ✅ Always reserve at least 30% room for longer translations. ✅ Stress test your UI for translation with pseudolocalization. ✅ Plan for line wrap, truncation, very short and very long labels. ✅ Adjust numbers, dates, times, formats, units, addresses. ✅ Adjust currency, spelling, input masks, placeholders. ✅ Always conduct UX research with local users. When localizing an interface, we need to work beyond translation. We need to be respectful of cultural differences. E.g. in Arabic we would often need to increase the spacing between lines. For Chinese market, we need to increase the density of information. German sites require a vast amount of detail to communicate that a topic is well-thought-out. Stress test your design. Avoid assumptions. Work with local content designers. Spend time in the country to better understand the market. Have local help on the ground. And test repeatedly with local users as an ongoing part of the design process. You’ll be surprised by some findings, but you’ll also learn to adapt and scale to be effective — whatever market is going to come up next. Useful resources: UX Design Across Different Cultures, by Jenny Shen https://lnkd.in/eNiyVqiH UX Localization Handbook, by Phrase https://lnkd.in/eKN7usSA A Complete Guide To UX Localization, by Michal Kessel Shitrit 🎗️ https://lnkd.in/eaQJt-bU Designing Multi-Lingual UX, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/eR3GnwXQ Flags Are Not Languages, by James Offer https://lnkd.in/eaySNFGa IBM Globalization Checklists https://lnkd.in/ewNzysqv Books: ⦿ Cross-Cultural Design (https://lnkd.in/e8KswErf) by Senongo Akpem ⦿ The Culture Map (https://lnkd.in/edfyMqhN) by Erin Meyer ⦿ UX Writing & Microcopy (https://lnkd.in/e_ZFu374) by Kinneret Yifrah

Generative AI is transforming how people learn and work—but only if it speaks your language. Most AI features are still built English-first, and “just translate it” rarely delivers a great experience. Idioms, domain-specific terms, and cultural context often get lost when translation is treated as an afterthought. In a recent engineering blog, Udemy shares how they approached this challenge and built a framework for localizing generative AI features from the ground up. The team outlines three strategies along a spectrum of complexity. At one end is a Translation Management System (TMS): translate user input to English, run it through the LLM, then translate the output back. It’s fast to ship and offers broad coverage, but comes with tradeoffs in latency and nuance. At the other end is a Multilingual LLM System (MLS), where the model processes and generates directly in each language using multilingual prompting, cross-lingual embeddings, and optional fine-tuning. This delivers higher quality, but is more complex to build. In between sits a hybrid approach—routing simpler queries through TMS and high-stakes interactions through multilingual models—allowing teams to move fast while investing deeply where it matters most. What stands out is how they treat localization as a platform problem: core interfaces are designed to switch between TMS and MLS without major rewrites. Safety and compliance are validated per language, rather than assumed to generalize from English. And every new language follows a repeatable playbook: start with TMS, learn from real usage, then decide whether it’s worth upgrading to a fully multilingual system. The results are impressive: the team was able to go from concept to production for the Japanese market in under three months, and adding a new language now takes less than 25% of the original effort. The takeaway? Localization isn’t a tax on your AI roadmap—it’s a multiplier. Start broad, go deeper where the data justifies it, and design your system so scaling globally becomes the default. #DataScience #DecisionMaking #LLM #Translation #Platform #SnacksWeeklyonDataScience – – –  Check out the "Snacks Weekly on Data Science" podcast and subscribe, where I explain in more detail the concepts discussed in this and future posts:    -- Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gKgaMvbh   -- Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gFYvfB8V    -- Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gcwPeBmR https://lnkd.in/ggZxBDYj

𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄. 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑. Most global learning products are designed in one room, approved in another, and then “adapted” for everyone else. Usually, this means a spreadsheet arrives with: ➡️ Copy ➡️ Character limits ➡️ Legal notes Congratulations. The empire now has subtitles. But localization is not a subtitle problem. I once saw one image in a learning product create a long debate. 📍 To one person, it looked inappropriate for the current reality. 📍 To another, it carried memory, dignity, and refusal. Same image. Different proximity to the wound. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬. Because learners can sense cosmetic inclusion. ➡️ Represented, but not understood. ➡️ Named, but not consulted. ➡️ Visible, but not influential. AI will make this more seductive. It can make imported thinking sound local in seconds. 📍 Very fluent. 📍 Very polished. 📍 Still imported. Real localization begins before content exists. Before translating anything, ask: 📌 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦? 📌 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬? 📌 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲, “𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞”? 📌 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲, “𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲”? Do not localize the sentence. Localize the decision-making. Translation makes learning readable. Localization makes it rightful. #Localization #GlobalLearning #EducationInnovation #LearningDesign #EdTech #CulturalContext #AIInEducation #InclusiveDesign #GlobalEducation #LearningExperience

Your UK messaging won’t land in France. Not because of the words. Because of the meaning. Most companies still assume localisation = translation. Switch the language, keep the message, job done. Except that’s not how France works. In the UK, buyers want clarity, speed, efficiency. In France, they want meaning, coherence, intellectual logic. Same product. Different cultural operating system. So when a UK tagline arrives in France unchanged, it doesn’t just “sound off.” It signals: This wasn’t made for you. Localisation is not about swapping vocabulary. It’s about rewriting the message with the French expectations, values, and cultural logic in mind. If you want your product to actually meet the market, you rebuild meaning. Not sentences. Leslie Berton France & UK Go-To-Market Partner

A German automotive supplier sent us their documentation last year. 2,400 pages. Needed in 8 languages. "Just translate it," they said. We pushed back. Because "just translate it" is the most expensive three words in localization. Here's what "just translate it" misses: → The German procedures assumed metric tools. The US plant uses imperial. No conversion tables. → The safety warnings referenced DIN standards. The Chinese factory needed GB standards. → The troubleshooting section used idioms that made no sense in 5 of the 8 languages. → The screenshots showed the German-language UI. The Brazilian operators use the Portuguese version. Translation converts words. Localization converts understanding. The cost of getting this wrong: → €180K in rework across 3 markets (when they tried "just translate" with another vendor first) → A 4-month delay in the China plant launch → 2 safety incidents traced back to unclear translated procedures The cost of getting it right from the start? About 30% more than "just translation." After 30 years in this business, I can promise you: the 30% upfront always costs less than the rework. #Localization #Translation #Manufacturing #Documentation #GlobalBusiness

Localizing emojis??? Yes, that’s a thing. While translating UI text for a dating app into Russian, I often have to change the emojis too. Why? 1. Many emojis are tied to a specific word or metaphor in the source language. Once the sentence is localized, that word may disappear and the emoji suddenly looks completely random. 2. Some emojis rely on cultural associations that don’t carry over across languages. A few real examples: More credits coming your way 💨 → Тебя ждут дополнительные кредиты 🎉 Translation: Additional credits are awaiting you 🎉 🎉 conveys excitement, the “more credits, yay!” moment. 💨 in Russian doesn’t have a clear meaning in this context. It could be interpreted as wind, something disappearing or as a fart. Let’s go! 💫 → Поехали! 🚀 Translation: Let’s go 🚀 🚀  The phrase «Поехали!» is famously associated with Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space: these are the words he said right before launch. 💫 in Russian would more likely suggest magic or sparkle, not action. Relax in my garden 🍷 → Отдых в саду 🌸 Translation: Resting in the garden 🌸 🌸 In Russian, the emoji focuses more on the garden itself. 🍷 isn’t the very first association when thinking about spending time in a garden. Want some company? 🐻 → Хочется общения? 💓 Translation: Want some company/meeting? 💓 💓 is a safe choice for the dating context, suggesting warmth and connection. 🐻 is associated with strength, power, or even danger, which isn’t the best choice for a dating invitation. They need to be smart 💡 → Без ума никуда 🧠 Translation: You can’t do without brains 🧠 Since the Russian phrase already refers to the mind/brain, 🧠 reinforces the message perfectly. 💡 in Russian mostly signals an idea or inspiration, which is related but not the primary association with intelligence. As you see from just a few examples, localization isn’t only about translating words. Sometimes it’s about the tiny details that shape how a message feels. If you want your product localized into Russian by someone who actually pays attention to those details, reach out: contact@russian-localization.com #Russian #localization #translation #UI #website #app

Localization? Never heard of it. It's just translation, right? Anyone can do that with Google. You know what's funny? Most people think localization is just: "Translate the words and you're done." If only it were that simple. Here's the reality: Localization goes way beyond translation. We adapt everything. Currency, dates, colors, images, even humor. So your product actually makes sense in that market. I learned this when working with global brands. A client wanted to launch in Japan. They thought translating their website was enough. But their red CTA buttons? Bad luck in that culture. Their casual tone? Too informal for Japanese business. Their checkout process? Didn't match local payment preferences. Google Translate can give you words. Localization gives you cultural connection. Here's what real localization includes: ✅ Marketing messages that actually resonate. ✅ Cultural adaptation, not just language. ✅ Local regulations and compliance. ✅ User experience that feels native. I've seen companies lose thousands because they skipped this step. And I've seen others succeed because they invested in it properly. When localization is done right, your international customers won't think: "This feels foreign." They'll think: "This was made for us." Have you ever used a product that felt perfectly adapted to your culture? Or one that clearly wasn't?

My client: “We localised our 100 product pages into French with Deepl” Me: “So you don’t want any qualified traffic?” A German client (B2C & B2B manufacturing and selling high-quality furniture for seniors) came to me because he wants to expand into France. Initially, they translated their whole website with Deepl. Quick solution, but: - the keywords didn’t match French search intent - the URL structure was wrong - the tone didn’t fit the local audience My job: build their French SEO, based on local persona and search intents. So it actually went way beyond pure localisation. Here is what I learned: 1. Product pages must provide information and convert. Not educate. 2. Deepl translates words. Localisation translates intent, culture and search behaviour. 3. Some keywords, when translated literally, describe something else and kill your SEO. 4. Working on a Deepl-translated page forces URL changes → redirects → slower indexing → lost authority. 5. Always use a glossary. It aligns your team & freelancers, plus prevents terminology drift during long projects. 6. German → French = +/- 20% content expansion. The German language might use long words, but the French struggle to express things in a concise way 7. When culture hits, don’t localise. Transcreate. 8. SEO can reveal new product opportunities., like “back pain cushion” whose search volume is 2x higher in France than in Germany. 9. You can’t stack 80 lines of text on a product page, because you’d sacrifice the UX for SEO. Make it scannable, mobile-first, readable. 10. Two lines per paragraph are enough in product pages. Go straight to the point, especially in German. 11. If you find a keyword that is highly sought after in the target language but does not exist in the original version, create a landing page to tap into localised searches. AI will translate your website, but will not bring your qualified traffic. I can. Let’s discuss it: https://bit.ly/4n64Qut

Building for a global audience will break all your assumptions as a developer. 👓 As my app, Oasis Launcher, approaches 1 million downloads, over 60% of my user base comes from non-English speaking countries like Brazil, Mexico and Argentine. This has given me some eye-opening product insights. When you build products in India, apps are generally built in English unless you are specifically targeting Tier 3 cities. But globally, the story is different. I discovered early on that 98% of my Brazilian users prefer the app in Portuguese, and >90% of German users prefer German. The Result: After providing translations for 12 major languages, my Active Users and Revenue shot up by almost 45%. 🚀 The Challenge: This growth created a new bottleneck. Over 60% of my support emails were suddenly in languages I don't speak. Since I am a one-man customer support team, I had to get creative. The Solution: I built an AI pipeline that automatically summarizes the issues my customers are facing. I simply write a single response in English, and the pipeline translates it into the respective languages and emails the customers individually. But localization goes beyond just translation. Users have different UX expectations. A user in Mexico might expect different button placements and behaviors compared to a user in Spain, even though they speak the same language. Culture, muscle memory, and taught behavior will challenge your initial concepts very fast as soon as you scale globally. As Oasis Launcher touches 1M downloads and my other apps, DayDew and Tidylinks - AI Bookmark Manager, steadily increase their user bases, learnings like this have been invaluable in helping me build better products. #IndieDev #ProductManagement #Localization #AI #BuildInPublic

🧙♀️ There isn’t a secret recipe or a one-size-fits-all solution for a successful localization. However, after 4 years localizing games, websites and apps I follow a similar process in my projects. In my view, a successful localization conveys the source message with the necessary touch of the target culture. That’s why I always intend to bring the creativity of someone who's always learning, reading, playing, and finding fun in daily interactions. 📚 Here’s what I normally do before starting the translation stage: -> Watch a gameplay of the game/navigate through the app or website, breaking it down in terms of genre, tone of voice, and sense of humor; -> Create a document with reliable sources for consultation (including images), as well as a spreadsheet with the main terminology; -> Then, I create my own moodboard (either on my phone or on a notebook) and a playlist (recently added to my workflow) to make sure I get in the mood of the project + client. Finally, I start working on the text, take some time to brainstorm ideas for the names, spells, memberships, deals, and other aspects that require transcreation and a more creative approach. Time to review everything at least twice — the first time by comparing the translation to the source and the second by reading the target out loud to make sure it sounds natural and conveys what it must. 🎯 Ps.: During this process it is also common for me to create a query spreadsheet in order to clarify ambiguous sentences and confirm the context around that piece of text. I value a direct and open communication with clients. On the other hand, clients can expect full commitment to creativity, to their solution, and to their customers from my end. Have you ever done a moodboard? Do you also have an established process? #Apps #Websites #VideoGames #Localization #English #Portuguese #Brazil