It’s easy to think of translation as the last piece of a puzzle, something to be slotted in at the end. After all, without all the work that goes into writing and curating your materials, there’d be no need for translation. The danger is that you can end up cutting corners to meet your budget and deadline, potentially risking the success of your project, campaign or research project.
But by building translation into your project, both in terms of the budget and timeline, you can avoid the all-too-frequent pitfalls of brand inconsistencies, misrepresentation of facts and incorrect survey data.
Translation isn’t a finishing touch. It should be a crucial part of the planning process for a smoother project and better outcomes.
Why include translation from the start?
- Protect timelines: by considering translation from the start, you’re building it into the schedule, ensuring you have the time and expertise in place to do it properly. Good translation takes time so don’t leave it until the last minute.
- Shape your content: an experienced linguist involved at an early stage can highlight concerns before they become an issue, such as cultural references that may not resonate or layouts that can’t accommodate a language running 30% longer. Accounting for these in the initial draft rather than fixing them at the end will save time in the long run.
- Build consistency: expert translators who understand the project from its early stages, including tone, terminology and target audience, provide consistency and continuity throughout.
Top tips for building translation into the process
- Plan it from the start: add translation to your project brief to make sure you have the time and budget for it.
- Treat it as non-negotiable: by making it a fixed milestone with its own timeline, it won’t just be a buffer that shrinks when other stages run over.
- Provide context: who is it for, what is its purpose and what does success look like? This helps linguists make better judgment calls during the translation process.
- Use a glossary: include key terms, branding guidelines and any phrases you don’t want translated.
- Involve translators in reviews: have them flag issues in early drafts as well as final proofing, so changes are made at the right stage.
- Keep the same translators throughout: this provides a consistent voice across your content.
- Review format and structure early: text length, layout and design choices are all affected by the translation, reviewing them from the start can avoid a later redesign.
Expert human translation services from TLF
TLF combines a team of mother-tongue translators with expert Project Managers to ensure your project runs smoothly from start to finish. All our linguists have at least five years of professional experience in their chosen field, hold a Diploma, BA or MA in translation and have professional membership of a recognised translation body.
Talk to the TLF team about how we can help you with your next translation project.
