Localize Designs Before Programming Starts with Crowdin Plugin for Sketch
Learn how to automate localization and synchronize texts between Crowdin and Sketch projects.
We’ve never seen someone complaining that localization takes too little time. But we did meet teams dealing with long and repetitive iterations due to localization. Designer teams are not an exclusion. Indeed, how much time do you spend fixing the design patterns after the mockups get translated? A lot, if the revision is done after the mockups are turned into code.
At Crowdin, we help tech companies make their products multilingual and keep workflows agile. Crowdin automates localization and connects systems different teams use to keep source texts and translations in sync.
Now that we have both Crowdin and Sketch work together, designers can send texts for translation directly from Sketch in a click, get them translated within a project in Crowdin, and upload translations back to Sketch. When you can preview and customize the translated mockups before programming starts, you get less “hot fixes” before the release.
Test designs before the handoff to development
A common situation when design and translation happen separately: You’ve created a design and the English version is beautiful and all sparkling. Your development team starts to build the features. And then whoops — German translations arrive and the length of texts breaks design patterns. Result? — Postponed release and missed deadline.
The efficient workflow would be to start localizing products and features at a time when they live as mockups in your Sketch project. This way, you can adjust the translated copies before your development team starts translating them into code. Download sample Sketch file that contains translations to 3 target languages.
Agile approach to localization
Agility means fast iterations and simple workflows. A workflow when you download HTML files from your Sketch project, send them to translators, contact translation providers each time you need the updated files and copy-and-paste the translations back takes too much effort.
Our approach to localization is automated and simple. After you install the Crowdin plugin for Sketch, you can send text for translation directly from Sketch to Crowdin. In a click. You can choose texts either from the whole page or separate artboard. The texts will arrive as HTML files to the connected Crowdin project.
To stay up to date with the translation progress in Crowdin, you can set up email or Slack notifications. And once the files are translated in Crowdin, upload the translated texts back to Sketch. From Sketch UI, also in a click.
This type of integration allows you to synchronize texts any time you want to preview your mockups in different languages. You can also update the existing files in Crowdin when there were changes in design. When you send texts for translation — files in Crowdin get updated. And vice verse, you pull translations back — updated translations appear in Sketch, overriding the old ones.
Who will translate the files in Crowdin?
In Crowdin, you can work with your in-house translators, freelancers, professional translation agencies, pre-translate texts with Machine Translation engines or engage your community to help with localization. Learn more about translation approaches in Crowdin.
Translators and proofreaders invited to Crowdin have limited access within a project and work in the Editor to translate and proofread files.
How can you ensure translators get the necessary context? Easy! They will be able to preview artboards as they are in Sketch. This way, the chances that the source texts will be interpreted accurately are much higher.
What you need to get started
To connect the two systems, you’ll need a Crowdin account and manager access to the Crowdin project your team already has. Just let your localization manager know about the Crowdin plugin for Sketch and a new way to localize mockups you’ve learned from this article. Learn how to connect Sketch with the Crowdin project.
If you don’t have a project in Crowdin yet. Sign up and create one, invite everyone who is involved. By everyone, we mean everyone — localization managers, developers, marketing and customer success managers, and of course, the translators you work with. You will get 14 days trial to look around and afterward choose a subscription plan that suits your localization ambitions. Feel free to contact our Customer Success Team for assistance. We’re available 24/7!
You can download Crowdin plugin for Sketch or find it on Sketch marketplace.
