The Use of Translation for Design Professionals: Is it a Blessing or a Curse?

Translating is an activity that aims to help the communication process by interpreting the information received in one language into another language, and vice versa. Foreign language learners frequently use translation to facilitate language learning and to acquire a new language. It helps the learner to more confidently understand foreign words and expressions, and express ideas in the target language. 

Growing up, you have probably been given mixed messages in the use of translation. In school, teachers would say “NO, don’t translate, you need to think in English!”. Some educators argue against using the native language in the class, considering it as a serious barrier to effective language learning. 

But you are no longer in the classroom. This is real life, the stakes are much higher!

There isn’t anything much more frustrating than when communication breaks down because you forget a word. Your brain is searching and searching. You are trying to put the puzzle pieces together and all you hear is silence. When all that is needed is a relatively simple translation. What a sigh of relief! In a few seconds, my conversation can resume and all is well. 

Sound familiar? 

When I was young, my dad learned Italian with a CD in the car before a trip to Italy. Every time he drove to work or to the supermarket, he would listen to the tracks. After listening to the CD a few times, he said “I’m pretty much fluent now, when we get to Italy we will be fine. I will be able to order our food in the restaurant and chat with the locals.” So he did. At least, he tried. We arrived in a typical Italian restaurant. It was a humble place, the kind that seemed like someone’s living room. Everyone in the restaurant was quite surprised to see our English faces. My dad was so confident ordering our drinks and minestrone soup to start. When the waitress arrived with our food, she was very excited! The whole restaurant went silent and I could feel their eyes watching our table and even worse. The eyes in my dad's bowl were staring at us too! It turned out my dad had ordered the correct soup for all of us (yay!), but somehow managed to order fish head soup for himself. Aah! Quite the surprise.

Google Translate hadn’t even been launched then but it would have been a lifesaver! Because let’s be real, you can’t learn a language by listening to a CD a few times in the car (sorry dad). 

While Google Translate may have saved the day for my family in the restaurant in Italy, the same can’t be said about designers in the workplace.

Recently, I spoke with a number of designers who said they use translation in their company to communicate with clients and other teams. They explained that their companies have a great deal of contact with companies in other countries and that most of the communication, both within and outside of the company, occurs in English. English is the lingua franca of the business world which enables communication among business professionals from a variety of cultural backgrounds. 

Interestingly, all the designers I spoke with indicated that it was at times a huge setback for the design process. It slowed down the process. Not only that, staff morale, and overall business that the teams could not always communicate in a common language. Some designers have even admitted to not communicating by phone or face-to-face because they are too scared. They stick to sending messages and using translation. But, by not communicating with those in their teams and networking with others, you are missing out on so many opportunities. 

Designers must not only communicate and understand their users’ problems, but they also need to deeply feel and emphasise with them. A translation cannot detect and replicate feelings and tones such as seriousness, or humour. If you use translation, the meaning and intended message will likely be lost. That could be disastrous for meeting your client's needs and truly understanding the design process. 

Words have a profound effect on the people around us. 

When you are not communicating using the appropriate language, tone, and understanding the nuances of the language, not only does communication break down, relationships and business can too. 

Recently, a designer mentioned that he avoids using English in meetings because he wants to make jokes and have a great relationship with his team, and he is not comfortable doing that in English. 

In this situation, a translation would not work because translating jokes and building a rapport with others is difficult to do without an understanding of the language and culture. 

So should designers use translation? 

Sure! Any tools to help you become a better communicator are great. The future of AI is pretty exciting (if not scary at the same time). But remember, they are just tools and they do have their limitations. Bad translations can make your team and company look bad. They can stop you from being a truly great designer. You can lose out on the experience to connect with others and the world of knowledge and opportunities. 

If you find that using translation is holding you back, and limiting your communication with people in your team then you should consider investing in improving your own communication skills. 

I would love to hear your experience of using translation. The good, and the bad!

How much do you rely on translation in your company?