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Our goal is to provide you with in-depth knowledge regarding localization.

Learn how CMS localization can boost your online presence, expand your reach, and optimize for international success with our informative article.

CMSs: industry state and how to localize them best

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Localization Blog

Helmut Juskewycz

Markus Merzinger

Lingohub

When we [blogged about colors](/blog/meaning-of-colors), we knew we touched upon a critical topic in localization and cultural awareness. What do colors mean in different contexts? Do connotations change from culture to culture (hint: they do)? As a logical continuation, we prepared this article as a checklist of color and cultural peculiarities you should consider during localization.


## Things you should consider during localization

Localization is more than just a translation. It is a meticulous process that requires both perfect adaptation to the new region and keeping the original business tone of voice, ideas, values, etc. When localizing products, services, or content for a different culture, it's crucial to consider various cultural peculiarities to ensure your offering resonates with the target audience and avoids potential misunderstandings or offenses. 


### Language of colors 

The meaning of colors plays a vital role, and sometimes, you will be required to change some elements or the entire color palette. The common trap is a white - symbol of purity and simplicity in Western countries and mourning and death in a big part of Asia. 

### Language of the region (dialect)
Literary language is not always the best fit for translation. Using the dialects is especially important for creative industries like game localization. Such a technique allows to provide the atmosphere of the digital product and immerse the user in the context. Remember the Hagrid from Harry Potter? He speaks with a strong West Country accent. During localization for other languages, it was crucial to convey the features of speech as it is a part of the character. For example, the Ukrainian translation uses the dialect from the western part of the country (cute coincidence), so Hagrid speaks a non-literature language. 
> If you want to learn more, we suggest reading about [famous product localization](/blog/famous-products-localization-overview) in our blog. 


### Cultural sensitivity 
Ensure you are not using disrespectful or offensive content in localized product versions. 
- **Religion**. In predominantly religious countries, being sensitive to their rules is essential. For example, Muslim countries often have strict rules about the content -  in Saudi Arabia, you can't show affection in public, your characters should have appropriate clothes, etc. Some of these regulations could be unclear, so hiring a local expert to check and approve your product is best. 
- **Taboos**. Not all things are open to discussion and demonstration— for instance, the tattoo in Japan. Of course, nowadays, they are more or less acceptable, but there are still people with more traditional views. 
- **Gestures**. Recheck all the illustrations with gestures to be sure they fit the cultural context. For example, the friendly "thumbs up" in some Middle Eastern and Asian countries has the same meaning as a middle finger in Western culture. 
- **Holidays**. Each region has its own essential cultural holidays. Even the New Year, the 1st of January, is not standard for all the world.
- **Pop culture understanding**. You can collect important information by staying up-to-date with local pop culture references. Pop culture references and trends reflect a society's values, interests, and concerns. By staying in tune with it and using some connections, you demonstrate cultural relevance and understand and respect the culture you're engaging with. 

### Figures localization.
This is a broad, separate topic, so you can read about [how to localize figures](/blog/how-can-the-figures-be-a-challenge-for-your-localization) and what to pay attention to in our blog. Here, we just want to remind you about this important part of the localization process. 

### Communication
Formal and informal speech is a fundamental aspect of language that varies from culture to culture. It involves using different levels of formality and politeness when communicating with others. When localizing content, whether it's written, spoken, or digital, understanding the nuances of formal and informal speech in the target culture is crucial for effective communication. 

> We suggest reading our blog's "[The importance of formal vs. informal speech](/blog/the-importance-of-formal-vs-informal-speech-in-web-and-mobile-software) " article to dive deeper into this topic. 

## Conclusion
Localization is a much broader topic than a translation and requires a complete understanding of the local cultural context and preferences. At Lingohub, we provide various tools for mobile and <a href="https://lingohub.com/use-cases/web-app-localization">web application localization</a> that will help to keep the context understanding on the same level for the entire team: 
- Style guide - to save the tone of voice 
- Glossary - to maintain consistency throughout the whole project
- Context images - to share more visual information with translators
- Descriptions - to provide additional data

To get more information about Lingohub - schedule a quick [demo call](/demo) with our team or try it yourself with a 14-day free trial. 

Our blog post focuses on the importance of considering colors and culture when localizing software and apps.

Colors and culture in software and app localization

<p dir="ltr">Markus Merzinger (<a href="https://www.xing.com/profile/Markus_Merzinger" target="_blank">Xing</a>) has over 14 years of experience in software engineering, including several years as development lead. He has a knack for technically challenging projects and loves to deliver state-of-the-art solutions in agile work environments.</p> <p dir="ltr">When he’s not developing <a href="https://lingohub.com" target="_blank"><em>Lingohub</em></a>, he is an an avid drummer (Markus played in several alternative bands during the last 15 years) and co-founder of the Linz-based music label <a href="http://www.interstellarrecords.at/">Interstellar Records</a>.</p>

In this article, we will introduce you to the founders of Lingohub and focus on the CTO, Markus. Join us as we explore more about him and his role in the company.

Meet the founders: Lingohub's CTO

Helmut (<a href="https://www.xing.com/profile/Helmut_Juskewycz" target="_blank">Xing</a>) studied business and computer sciences at the JKU Linz, and has now been working in the software sector for eleven years. His start-up experience includes <em>Jumio</em> and <em>Runtastic</em>. He is passionate about user-centered applications that innovate and solve real-world problems.
With <em>lingohub</em>, he wants to change how global localization of websites and apps works, to empower translators and make roll-outs of multilingual products a true on-demand service.

Among other things, he loves windsurfing and a great barbecue, when he's not developing <em>Lingohub</em> or following the start-up scene, in Linz and globally, intrigued by the new dynamics that are evolving. Stay tuned for his impressions from<em> Pioneers Festival</em> 2012.

In this article, we will introduce you to the founders of Lingohub and focus on the CEO, Helmut. Join us as we explore more about him and his role in the company.

Meet the founders: Lingohub’s CEO

<p style="text-align: left;">Last weekend I had the great chance to be part of <a title="BaRuCo" href="http://baruco.org/">BaRuco</a>. A Ruby conference in sunny Barcelona. Believe it or not, it was my first time visiting this great city.</p>

BaRuCo, organized by <a title=":codegram" href="http://codegram.com/">:codegram</a>, was a fine Ruby conference with a bunch of great talks. The <a title="BaRuCo agenda" href="http://baruco.org/agenda">agenda</a> was quite dense. 8 talks per day. Maybe a bit too dense but I will talk about that later.

<h2>Cosmo Caixa</h2> 

First of all I really want to thank the organizers for choosing the venue: <a href="http://obrasocial.lacaixa.es/nuestroscentros/cosmocaixabarcelona/cosmocaixabarcelona_es.html">Cosmo Caixa</a>, a technology museum, is a great place to stay for two days. Actually it is a kind of museum I have never seen before. Cosmo Caixa exhibition is quite unstructured with no real topic and it is a good thing. If you visit Barcelona you have to visit this place! 

<h2>Talks</h2> 

There are some talks I like to mention: 

<h2><a href="http://baruco.org/agenda/programming-workout">PROGRAMMING WORKOUT, BY MICHAŁ TASZYCKI</a></h2> 

Michal talked about the passion to continuous learning. How you keep your fire burning to improve yourself and stay focused. Plus some tricks to set your goals wisely. <h2><a href="http://baruco.org/agenda/tracing-your-way-through-ruby">TRACING YOUR WAY THROUGH RUBY, BY ELISE HUARD</a></h2>

A great talk about using <a title="dtrace" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DTrace">dtrace</a> and how to probe your Ruby application if anything else does not give you that granular level of insight. <a href="http://tenderlovemaking.com/">Aaron Patterson</a> already added dtrace probes to MRI, but we have to wait for Ruby 2.0.

<h2><a href="http://baruco.org/agenda/rubymotion-for-faster-client-server-development">RUBYMOTION FOR FASTER CLIENT/SERVER DEVELOPMENT, BY RANDALL THOMAS & TAMMER SALEH</a></h2>

The two guys of Thunderbolt Labs gave a good insight to using <a title="RubyMotion" href="http://www.rubymotion.com/">RubyMotion</a> in client projects. RubyMotion promises to develop iOS application in Ruby. The presentation included information how RubyMotion development differs from your known Ruby development (eg. you cannot use require and gems).

<h2><a href="http://baruco.org/agenda/it-s-not-how-good-your-app-is-it-s-how-good-you-want-it-to-be">IT'S NOT HOW GOOD YOUR APP IS, IT'S HOW GOOD YOU WANT IT TO BE, BY JOSH KALDERIMIS</a></h2>

If you have never seen Josh on stage - go for it! This talk explained how the guys of <a title="Travis CI" href="http://travis-ci.org/">Travis CI</a> use several techniques to monitor what's going on in their application. Ranging from using <a href="http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveSupport/Notifications.html">ActiveSupport Notifications</a> to add custom log entries. <a title="Papertrail" href="https://papertrailapp.com/">Pa</a><a title="Papertrail" href="https://papertrailapp.com/">pertrail</a> to aggregate and browse their logs. Josh told me that his talk will be online soon.

<h2>Seen crititical</h2> 

As I mentioned the schedule was quite dense, hence most of the time was spent sitting in the Auditorium. But besides listening to great talks, most of us who attend at a conference want to use some time to meet other developers. Chat about what you do and how you enjoy it. There was no real chance to skip a talk in advance to prolong a nice chat you just started during the short coffee break. The space outside of the auditorium was shut off for the "real" guests of the museum, so everyone automatically moved in again.

See you there next year!

<span style="text-align: center;"> </span>
<p style="text-align: center;">

We had the great chance to be part of BaRuco. A Ruby conference in sunny Barcelona. 

BaRuCo - Barcelona Ruby Conference

We know the <a href="https://lingohub.com/blog/2011/10/the-importance-of-an-api">importance of an API</a>. That is why we designed Lingohub from the beginning with a REST interface in mind. The only thing that was missing (until now), was the documentation.

Today, timely for the <a href="http://baruco.org/" target="_blank">BaRuCo</a>, we released our Developer Center <a href="https://lingohub.com/developers">https://lingohub.com/developers</a>. You will find documentation about REST endpoints, restriction, authentication, and everything else you need to integrate with Lingohub. The Version 1 focuses mostly on the vital ressources of Lingohub: projects, collaborators, translations and phrases. We are thinking about adding some convenience endpoints, but we wanted your feedback first. <a href="mailto:support@lingohub.com?Subject=Developer%20API">Contact us</a> and let us know your suggestions, critic, and praises.

Lastly, greetings to our friends at BaRuCo. Shame not all lingohuber made it, but I am sure <a href="http://twitter.com/maerzbow" target="_blank">Markus</a> will represent Lingohub pretty well at the Github Drink Up.

Lingohub API ready for BaRuCo

The correct localization is essential when we are talking about new markets expanding. Web, mobile applications, SaaS, and websites have a lot of attributes that should be adapted perfectly. There exist various rules and best practices for internationalization (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internationalization_and_localization">i18n</a>) and localization (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Localization">l10n</a>); the first step for you will be to find a linguistic/translation expert(s). These people will be crucial to a successful process and reduce the most significant issues. 
Nowadays, the success or failure of the product's worldwide expanding closely related to covering the consumers' expectations. Many competitors in any area imply that customers choose not only based on product/service quality but also personal preference. 

One of the constant trends is personalization and quality localization - the latest statistics say that <a href="https://csa-research.com/Blogs-Events/CSA-in-the-Media/Press-Releases/Consumers-Prefer-their-Own-Language">40%</a> of customers will not buy if there is no available native language on the website or application. 
Regarding the web and <a href="https://lingohub.com/use-cases/mobile-app-localization">mobile app localization</a>, we should keep consistency within all content (social media, web resources, apps, etc.) That means that our tone of voice, including the type of vocabulary, formality, a grammatical person, must be formed and spelled out conveniently in a style guide. This article describes one of its components - formality, specifically formal and informal language.


## The formal and informal in different languages and cultures

Unlike German, Ukrainian, Spanish, etc., English doesn't have a formal appeal. English speakers always use the form "you" in any context. Of course, based on the situation, there are different forms of vocabulary, from "Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to express my interest in... Best Regards" to "Hey, what's up? I saw you yesterday at..."

When talking about localization, we should consider the rules of the region. The German language, for instance, has two forms of appeal - "**du**" as informal and the formal "**Sie**." Correct formality can be significant when developing business applications and websites. If the particulars of a language are not upheld, the audience will quickly lose trust and respect. For example: "*Hans, do you have your coat?*" can be translated as "*Hans, hast du deinen Mantel?*" using 'du' as the English word for 'You.' However, 'du' is used because Hans is a close friend. Otherwise, '**Sie**' would be used for strangers or people that are not known so well. Only god, children, pets, close friends, and family members are addressed as '**du**.' 

Ukrainian also has two forms - "**ти** [ty]" - like informal and "**ви**"[vy] - the formal one. The rules of usage are the same as in German. The exception is the elderly - almost always, they are addressed in "**ви**"[vy]. At the same time, the youngest generation often, after the first friendly greetings, asks to move to an informal option as it is more natural. Also, different companies have a culture of informal appeal to create a laid-back atmosphere in the team for everyone, regardless of age and position. Also, using the formal form changes the endings in the verbs. For example, in English, you can say, "*You run fast.*" Talking about Ukrainian, it will be "*Ти(you) біжиш(run) швидко(fast)*." or "*Ви(you) біжите(run) швидко(fast).*"

Particular attention should be given to Eastern countries. Their culture is very conservative and often consists of rituals. In Japan or China, it is essential to use formal language to show respect and hierarchy. It is often used in the working environment and when speaking to elders or superiors. 


## Avoid the problems of incorrect language usage

If you are working with international users, the most critical task is to be "your own." If the first screen of the banking application uses informal language, the significant change is that users will close it and never open it again. In some industries, like mobile gaming or beauty services, the informal address will be ok, but it really depends on the country and its culture. 
One more example is if an application uses people's contacts. It could be important for specific individuals to be categorized and highlighted differently, such as essential business associates or close family and friends. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are communicated correctly and used for each type of contact could define the application's success. 


## How to keep the correct formality during the project?

Before starting any localization, you must build a deep strategy and understand your users. Based on this data, you can create a style guide, glossary, and primary rules for the translating team. Lingohub provides a list of tools that will facilitate this task for you. 

Book the quick [demo call ](/demo) with our team and get more information about Lingohub possibilities for your business.

Formal or informal language? This article describes why the correct tone of voice and consistency throughout the project is fundamental in localization. Click and read more about inside