Localization is all about adapting content from one culture to another, from one market to the next. The tricky part is the thin line separating appropriation and appreciation. The challenge is to adapt content respectfully and give proper credit. It's easy to blur the line between appreciation and appropriation. My post this week reflects on that.

Much is said about AI's threat to professionals in the localization industry. But the truth is that the AI + human combo has a lot of potential. In this blog post, you can learn about the role of an internal Localization team in the AI era.

Creating quality online content adapted to different markets is more important than ever. Our world revolves around content. These days, buying decisions are often based not only on experiences with products, but with information about products. Naturally, with the growing importance of content, a lot of attention is being paid to content strategy. This is a good thing. Companies need to stop throwing content out to the world without a good reason. They need to manage content strategically. 

But what about global content? What about all the content that your company produces for people in other parts of the world?

What areas should a localization team consider when collaborating efficiently with a game publisher operating on a GaaS model?

This blog post covers the main elements you cannot ignore when considering implementing a Localization strategy to support developers operating under the GaaS framework.

We all live our particular Groundhog Day; regardless of what we do, some things come back again and again.

Translators and AI: A Partnership

In this post you can find a list of ideas, areas in which a translator can rely to be more efficient in their day-to-day tasks.

The basic principle of strategic decision-making is based on understanding the impact of our decisions on the future in the decisions we make today.

But, of course, that's more complex than it seems because of cognitive biases. The topic of cognitive biases is fascinating; we all have cognitive biases, and to make matters worse, we don't know we have them. Identifying them is vital since overcoming cognitive biases helps us think more critically and objectively, and we end up making better decisions as a result.

But how can we identify a bias if we don't know we have it? chatGPT to the rescue!"

ChatGPT is a fantastic tool, and in this post, I explain things I have discovered after a year of use

There's a reason that I started observing last year and have consolidated this year as another reason for questioning the impact of localization, and that is Unfamiliarity with how Localization supports DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion):

It’s really important to check how well our creative work is doing. Even though measuring the quality and efficiency of our localized content isn't easy, that doesn't mean we should give up! We use KPIs to see how our content is performing—whether it's catching people's attention, encouraging them to do something, or influencing how they see our brand. Each KPI tells us something different, and when we look at them all together, it helps us figure out what's working well and what needs a little tweaking. This blog post is all about how to measure KPI creative efforts!

In this post I look at how we can embrace AI, particularly chatGPT to stay relevant !

Usually, when we want to improve something in our Localization strategy, we first set an ambitious goal. From there, we design a strategy to reach it as quickly as possible. If we don't see rapid changes, we feel like we're not improving. To break this cycle, we can try changing the way we set goals—smaller, but consistent objectives that, when we look back, show us that we are indeed making progress. This progress can be the driving force for us every week, every month, every year.

Here are some ideas on how we could apply this Kaizen methodology in the Localization world.

The world of localization is full of small, hidden details.

Some things are deeper than they seem, and I often see between in-context review and LQA in the world of Localization. They might seem the same, but if we scratch beneath the surface, we'll see they're not what they seem.

In this post, I want to focus on explaining the differences between in-context review and LQA, which is something I see being confused quite frequently, and although the tasks are similar ... they are not the same.

The awareness phase, the first step in any customer journey, introduces potential clients to our company, product, or service in a new market. Despite its importance, localization is often overlooked here. Neglecting localization while entering a non-English-speaking international market means missing a key opportunity to build trust, establish a strong presence, and effectively connect with a global audience right from the start

I'm passionate about Localization metrics, but it can be frustrating. We live in a data-rich world, allowing us to measure our impact better. However, this data abundance brings challenges when building a Localization metrics system.

In my experience, two main pitfalls emerge (but they are not the only ones 😅). One is overemphasizing Localization ROI, which can lead to unproductive discussions. The other is tracking effort-related KPIs without translating their impact on company success into terms that matter to leadership and product owners.

What happens when we can't say NO to clients because we need them, and their payments are essential to meet the company's financial goals?

What happens when an aggressive client disrespects an LSP because they know that the thousands of euros they're paying to localize their product are vital to the LSP's bottom line?

 In this blog post , I reflect on the most challenging moments in my career in the localization industry and provide some tactics that might help us handle the emotional aspect when it's time to end a client relationship.

A Globalization/Localization Project Manager is responsible for making sure a digital product works well in different languages and cultures. They do this by managing projects, setting goals, handling money, and planning how to work with language experts.

This might be the part of their job you see the most, but there are two other really important things they do that many people don't know about.

Some services and some invoices are difficult to understand. Specially to understand how certain services are charged, and how they are explained. Sometimes we might have the feeling that we are being scammed ... have you ever had that feeling in our Globalization world? For example, in the area of Localization Engineering? If the answer is yes maybe this post is for you ...

Localizing a digital product does not depend solely on translation costs per word, a cost for an hour of Localization QA, or PM fees, not by any means. Numerous factors affect the final cost of localization. This blog post delves into these factors.

The professionals of the Localization industry are usually always solving problems and putting out fires ☺️ but how do we know if we are solving the problems that we really have to solve? How do we know that we are correctly defining the problem to be solved?

How to define a problem correctly, some thoughts to focus on the right problem to solve; happy Sunday/week everyone!!

If we don't speak up about our work, no one will know. Giving visibility about the work we do is important. In this post, I give three ideas to make visible the invisible.

Imagine a world where the most crucial aspect of an RFP is not the price, flexibility, or technology offered by a language service provider (LSP), but rather the shared values and ethical standards they uphold. In such a world, what specific areas could we consider when evaluating an LSP in terms of culture and ethics?

In this post, I delved into culture and ethics, exploring the facets we can include in an RFP to investigate these areas thoroughly.

Quality, speed, and cost metrics are valid to know if my "localization house is in order," but they are not telling us anything about content effectiveness. This article teaches you how to measure content effectiveness.

While it is true that there is no magic formula to obtain a promotion and continue advancing in our Localization career, as each company, sector, and individual is different, it is equally true that certain patterns can help us become candidates for promotions when the opportunity arises.

What areas should a localization team consider to collaborate efficiently with a game publisher operating on a GaaS model?

This blog post covers the main elements you cannot ignore when considering Localization as part of GaaS

This blog post covers the essential elements that should not be missing in a localization strategy. As in minimalism in some cases, less is more regarding localization and content strategies

Have you ever thought about how much work goes into developing a video game? It's not just about creating a fun and visually appealing experience - there's a whole world of complexity beneath the surface. And if you want to reach a global audience, the challenge only multiplies.

Perhaps one day, ChatGPT will learn to localize and make us irrelevant 😛, but until then, I've compiled a list of 12 essential steps to help expand the reach of your video game. Localization is no easy feat, but with these steps, you'll be well on your way to breaking into new international markets and reaching millions of players worldwide.

Consistently posting about our accomplishments on platforms like LinkedIn can quickly become tiresome for others. At the same time, not giving visibility to what we do or achieve can cause our work to go unnoticed, causing us to miss out on certain professional opportunities to advance our careers further.