Linguistic testing: a major step for a minor investment 

New interactive media give you new ways to communicate with your audience. You expect these to be effective. They should not create errors or ambiguities. Translating new media content can make it ineffective. Seemingly unimportant details, like longer words or inappropriate visuals, are the problem. 

Examples of this include: 

• A translated word doesn’t appear in full. This happens because the German or French translation takes up more space on a screen than the English source. 
• Symbols such as a dollar sign or a traffic sign lose their meaning in other countries or cultures. This creates confusion. 

That is why we make our linguists available to review your interfaces. They screen for gremlins. They also filter out peculiarities or sensitivities for local markets. Linguistic testing gives you certainty. It ensures your target audience will receive and understand your medium. 

In our experience, linguistic testing only accounts for a small part of the total budget. So do not leave your investment to chance by skipping this crucial step. Your return on investment will be well over 50 %! 

Similar problems can also occur when you translate software. Evaluating your translated and localised content is a cost-effective way to ensure your investment hits the sweet spot.