Conducting a Global Audit

Making your content global-ready.

Leah Guren Cow TC

© 2016 Leah Guren

Agenda

The what and why of global audits

Best practices

Using the audit results

Conclusion and discussion

The What and Why

First, some terms: I18N = internationalization L10N = localization

A global audit is reviewing content for: potential I18N problems (content that is not

appropriate for global release) potential L10N problems (things that make

translation difficult)

…and then developing: your style guide (to be more global-ready) your processes

Why is it important?

We are in a global economy (I18N and

L10N are mandatory).

Bad content means: product rejection for I18N more complicated, longer, costlier L10N

Tech Pubs should logically manage

localization projects.

You can be the hero!

A Case Study

This is the DigiBelt

(part of the DigiScan

product).

This is the DigiBelt insert.

But for some bizarre

historical reason, this is

also the DigiBelt insert.

IFU

PDF

This is a catheter.

Oh, wait… it’s a

probe.

Or is it a sensor?

Oh, &#*@#^!!

Best Practices

Conduct your global audit by focusing

on these areas.

Review the writing.

Look for these problems:

Idiom, local expressions, slang, etc.

Long (> 13 words) babushka doll

sentences.

One word, multiple meanings: bad: Hose down the sidewalk with the hose. better: Spray the sidewalk with the hose. or: Use the hose to wash the sidewalk.

Inconsistency: product names, features, interface elements technical terms verbs for all user actions

Review global standards.

Look for these problems:

No metric values.

Confusing time designations: bad: AM or PM times with regional time zone better: 24-hour time with UTC reference

(18:00 UTC -3)

Confusing dates: bad: number-only dates (08/05/16) better: modified ISO date format (08 May 2016)

Unintentional lack of parity: bad: Tony lives in Los Angeles, California, and Michelle lives in

Paris, France. better: Tony lives in Los Angeles, CA, USA, and Michelle lives in

Paris, France.

Review the examples.

Look for these problems:

Use-case names that aren’t

universally bland.

Culturally-specific examples: local businesses things only known in your area

Humor (it never translates well).

Review the graphics.

Look for these problems:

Hand icons: gestures mean different things cultural taboos vary

Metaphor icons

(trash can, etc.).

Embedded (not linked)

graphics.

Text in graphic, rather than

separate layer.

Review the tool usage.

Look for these problems:

Local and illegal formatting: screws up automation requires manual fixes leads to more sloppy errors

Messy source files: extra tabs, soft returns, hard returns,

extra spaces manual page breaks hard-coded variables ASCII fonts instead of Unicode

Bad layout and design: text “tweaked” to fit onto a page tables or callouts designed for fixed sizes

(no support for language bloat) no thought for RTL (right-to-left) languages

Using the Audit Results

You did the audit. So now what?

Fix the sources and the style guide.

Apply the changes.

Set a strategy for the future: in-house style guide training for other Help authors, content

developers, editors, etc.

Find a reputable L10N resource.

Get the right language! there is no such thing as “French”

or “Spanish” mother-tongue for target, not source

Look for experience in your domain.

Make sure that they are tool-savvy.

Get references.

Give a short chapter or a few pages

as a test.

Send the results to the client’s rep.

Sie haben

schöne Käse!

Do usability testing.

Find users matching your

target personas: best: EFL next best: ESL

Have them read and follow

documentation: can they read it? do they understand it? are they struggling? are they confused?

First, learn the basics of

documentation U-testing!

Build in-house support.

Do your research: what does your current localization cost? how long does it take?

Identify stakeholders: product managers sales and marketing developers other technical authors

Find out what concerns them…

They may not care about user benefits.

The usability

is terrible!

I don’t care!

They may not even care about money.

You’re wasting

money!

I don’t care!!

But they care about something!

The regulatory manager might care about

compliance.

The product manager might care about TTM

(time to market).

I can shorten

your TTM.

Tell me

more!!

Start with a simple goal.

Try terminology and

global notation.

Create a committee: R&D Regulatory Marketing TC

Created methodology to

support it.

Give terms to L10N

agency.

Test on one release.

Lessons Learned

Obvious problems are not

obvious to everyone.

Explain the pain based on the

stakeholder’s POV.

Start small.

Have starting metrics to allow

comparison.

Be prepared to be scrutinized.

Want more? The Global English Style Guide: Writing

Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market,

John R. Kohl.

Thank you!

Leah Guren

Cow TC technical communication training & consulting

tel: (+972) 54-485-3473

email: leah@cowtc.com

website: www.cowtc.com

A butter approach to

TC…