App Localization: 5 Main Tips for UX/UI
When opening a mobile app, we expect to see the interface, word combinations, and symbols we’re used to. So, launching the app in the home region, we rely on our cultural code. However, if the plan is to succeed on a global scale, it’s necessary to learn the cultural peculiarities of the countries where you’re going to launch. As an analogy, we can look to the localization of cartoons. It includes title adaptation, replacing lettering with pictures which will be clear for an international audience, and more.
Almost any product aimed at a foreign market requires localization, and a mobile app is no exception. It allows companies to attract new audiences, gain international market recognition, and increase the loyalty of current users.
What is UX/UI localization?
App localization is more than just a word-for-word translation. It’s the process of adapting interface and functionality to the cultural, linguistic, and technical requirements of the target market. The purpose is to create the best user experience and personalize the app for different countries as if it was originally created for them. That’s why app localization is the first thing to consider when launching in foreign markets.
At AIBY, we use the following tactics for localization
Linguistic peculiarities
It’s important to realize that each language is displayed differently. To ensure that the text is presented correctly and the layout remains intact, it’s necessary to account for some technical nuances and limitations:
The length of the text and individual characters
If the app is originally made in English, you will probably need to change the design to accommodate translations. The thing is, the words, sentences, and constructions in English are often shorter than their translations into Spanish, French, Russian, and Arabic.
In some cases, it’s necessary to reformulate the texts and make them shorter for better perception. In general, behavior patterns are similar everywhere: people don’t read each word but scan the screen instead. And if English allows you to express the point briefly, then Arabic, for example, is more verbose. A literal translation can result in so much text that quick scanning becomes difficult. This can lead to frustrating experiences, missing important information (e.g. subscription terms), or even uninstalling the app. Therefore, sometimes it’s better to paraphrase instead of giving a literal translation.
Language direction
Many Western languages are read and written from left to right. While Arabic, on the contrary, is written and read from right to left. And Chinese and Japanese can be displayed from top to bottom. Keep these features in mind when designing screens and think where to place important information, CTA, buttons, and links. For instance, in the Arabic version, it makes sense to place the “forward” button on the left and the “back” one on the right.
Tone of voice
Think how the app will communicate with the audience. Should it sound friendly? Happy? Seriously? While shaping your app’s TOV, take into consideration the communication style of the region where you aim to launch. For example, in western countries, informal communication can be used even in a business environment, but in eastern cultures, it can be offensive and disrespectful. Apply the same TOV to all the content you deliver — within the app, in the store description, and in promotional content.
Screen size
Before you start the localization for a specific market, learn the statistics: what devices are most popular there? This will help you determine the most common screen sizes and use this information when working on design.
Date and time formats
To reduce the cognitive load for the users, you should give them the opportunity to set familiar date and time formats. For example, Europeans are used to the 24-hour clock, while Americans, Australians, and Canadians mostly use the 12-hour format.
Speaking about dates, Americans stick to MM/DD/YYYY as their date format, while Europeans work with the DD/MM/YYYY one, and the Chinese use YYYY/MM/DD. If the date format isn’t tailored to a particular audience, it can cause serious problems and disappoint the user. For instance, a date labeled as 10/11/21 can be interpreted in different countries either as November 10 or October 11.
Displaying month names can be a great solution: 10 Oct 2021 or 11 Nov 2021.
In the United States and some other countries, they use the Fahrenheit as a unit for measuring temperature. While most other countries employ the International System of Units. In such cases, you can offer the users to choose their own format of units or offer them both.
In most European countries, calendars show Monday as the first day of the week. Whereas in the United States and a number of other countries, it’s Sunday.
The same goes for the formats of telephone numbers, currency, decimal points, and so on. Pay attention to these details to avoid misleading the user. Keep in mind that format peculiarities influence the design and engineering of elements in apps.
Cultural background
People perceive things differently. To help an app match a region, focus on cultural characteristics and current trends of the location you are interested in.
It’s quite clear that sometimes icons, gestures, symbols, images, and emojis convey a message much faster and better than text. However, visual content could mean different things in different countries. What is considered appropriate in western countries may seem inappropriate in eastern ones. For example, in China, a seemingly universal positive emoji — the slightly smiling face — is associated with distrust.
If you need to use images of people, it’s better to choose typical representatives of a particular culture and take their race, gender, skin color, and clothing into account. For cosmopolitan countries, emphasize cultural diversity to make all its representatives happy.
Don’t forget that landscapes also differ. For example, there are no tropical forests in the United States, so use a more typical one — a coniferous forest. Or don’t put images of the Eiffel Tower in the British version (if the topic isn’t France).
Every culture has its own color associations. So, it’s better to learn color psychology and implement this knowledge while localizing. For example, in western countries, green is the color of money, reliability, stability, and health, but in Asia, it symbolizes a new beginning, rebirth, and youth. While in South America, it’s the color of death and grief. Minimalist design works better for the western user, while in Asia and Latin America, a bright, colorful design might be preferable.
Also, the legislation specifics in different countries can strongly influence localization.
Support
It’s worth mentioning that localization is not a one-time effort. The content in the app is always changing and functionality is added, and so you should keep the localized content up to speed.
When UX/UI localization is not necessary
If there isn’t much content in the app and it’s intuitive for users from different countries, it might not be reasonable to spend a lot of effort on localization. To make a product universal, sometimes it’s enough to think in advance about the settings for units of measure, calendar, and dates as well as provide the translation of texts.
Conclusion
When we create an app, we most often rely on our own cultural background. Localization is a difficult and time-consuming process that involves taking a huge variety of cultural and technical nuances into account. Here, you should empathize with potential users and be particularly attentive to details (symbols, gestures, pictures, date formats, button layouts, etc.) to turn using your product into a positive experience.
More recommendations from AIBY experts in the next articles. Follow us for more!
