Translation is content design, too

Translation is content design, too.

Translators do much more than simply "replacing" the language used in a product or app.

They know which strategies to use to accommodate differences between locales, all without losing the original meaning and intent of the text.

For example, they can:

• Create (monolingual or bilingual) conceptual systems to organize knowledge in a given domain and show how concepts connect.

• Decide which language to translate the document into.

Who are the authors and readers?

Expert-to-expert, expert-to-semi-expert and expert-to-layperson communication require different choices in terms of voice, tone and style.

• Manage specialized terminology.

They may pair with a subject matter expert (SME) to learn key terms and then record them in a bilingual glossary or termbase.

They may also add definitions, example sentences and links alongside their suggested translations to make specialized language more consistent and accessible across channels.

• Align terminology with brand voice and product positioning in each locale.

• Change the syntax to make the text more effective and reduce cognitive load.

• Localize cultural references that may be unclear in other regions.

• Flag ambiguities or UX issues in the source text before translating.

• Adapt microcopy to local expectations (error messages, CTAs, onboarding flows).

• Adjust the layout (font type, size and color, use of white space) to reflect the information hierarchy.

Translators understand how each piece of content, localized or not fits into the bigger picture, the end-to-end experience.

Many of the daily processes linguists handle fall under the broad umbrella of translation, yet there's so much more to it.

It's quiet work, often invisible, but it shapes how clearly and consistently a product speaks to an entirely new audience.

I'm Elisa, an Italian content designer and translator at heart who believes good design is service. This is where I document my life in UX and writing.

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