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How we localize Slack

The cultural considerations and values that guide Slack’s global accessibility

작성자: Anca Greve 2018년 3월 6일Samantha Mash의 일러스트

The year 2017 was a whirlwind for Localization at Slack, as we expanded our supported languages from one to five. We now provide localized support in English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish for several key products, including the Help Center, main website, and of course, the Slack app itself. So as we gear up to work on how we’ll expand access to Slack even further, I wanted to talk about the considerations behind how we localize, touch on how different languages inform decisions on formality and voice, and describe how we try to uphold the core values of Slack as we expand globally.

Who we are

The localization team at Slack is composed of four in-house Linguists, one Project Manager and myself, the Localization Manager. We also work with a wonderful team of external linguists.

Why is localization important?

Localization builds trust with our customers in a language that they understand, with cultural references that are familiar to them.

To successfully localize, we knew we had to adapt the Slack voice to other cultures. And although much of localization is translation, there are other considerations, such as the fact that our global users have grown up with certain customs, and a certain world view. The witty remarks we make, the anecdotes we employ, the references to a familiar idiom — these are the kinds of things we are extra thoughtful about to build trust with our global users.

What guides our localization decisions?

Slack’s mission is to make working lives simpler, more pleasant and more productive. In order to truly live this mission, the localization team focuses on four core values — courtesy, craftsmanship, empathy and playfulness. These values continue to guide our decisions around developing the Slack voice, formality levels, and whether or not to translate everything or leave some English words in place.

Being courteous and empathetic in localization means we respect the cultural expectations and preferences of our users, no matter where they are located. In Japanese, it means that we respect others in the way we address them, but aren’t overly polite. We want our Japanese users to feel like they’re speaking to a helpful colleague when they use our products.

Japanese message

In Japanese, saying “Good job! Looking at the scenery is good for your fatigued eyes” is a reflection of being courteous but not overly polite.

In German, it might mean that we retain some English copy, as many English words have been embraced and are incorporated in everyday German vocabulary.

“Workspace-Management” is an example of non-translated English terminology in German.
“Workspace-Management” is an example of non-translated English terminology in German.

A key part of the Slack voice is the craft that goes into making the product appeal to users in a human way. We often do this through playfulness, which was the toughest element to localize. You might have noticed the wit in our loading messages, All Unreads section, or release notes. While loading Slack and seeing You look nice today is a nice sentiment in English, if we were to translate that literally into other languages, it would lose its playfulness and very likely send a different message.

French message

The English “You look nice today” becomes “We are here to help” in French.

Or take the message we show you when you’ve read everything in your All Unreads section, You’re all caught up. Here’s a pony. This copy works great in English but does not really make sense in Spanish or French. So in Spanish we say, Has leído todo. Aquí tienes un caramelo de regalo.

Spanish message

 

And in French we tell you to take it easy and show you the island emoji with the message Vous pouvez vous la couler douce !

The localization team holds dear Slack’s mission, as well as our company values, because they’ve helped us build the foundation for quality in localization and guide our decisions around formality, voice and tone, and inclusiveness. Much of our work still lies ahead of us, as we continue to scale, but we believe that a well-localized product means that it connects seamlessly with our users and their working lives, no matter where they might be located.

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생산성

[Slack People 3탄] 모든 조직이 ‘Slack’을 찾을 수 있도록 신나게 달리는 Slack 마케팅 팀

Slack의 마케팅 팀은 “일인데 어쩌겠어, 싫어도 해야지.”라는 말을 뱉는 직장인들이 줄어들기를 소망합니다. 그리고 힘들게 느껴지던 업무를 훨씬 더 즐겁고 재밌게 수행할 수 있는 조직이 늘어나기를 바랍니다.

새 소식

생산성 플랫폼의 힘을 강화하는 새로운 방법인 Slack 캔버스를 만나 보세요

이제 누구나 중요한 정보를 Slack에서 모두 생성하고 구성하고 공유할 수 있습니다

협업

[Slack People 2탄] Slack의 가치를 알리는 Slack 미드마켓 한국 영업 팀

스타트업부터 유니콘 기업, 중소기업, 중견기업에 이르기까지 크고 작은 규모의 국내 기업에 Slack의 가치를 알리고 있는 미드마켓(Mid-market) 한국 영업 팀은 오늘도 Slack의 가치를 알리기 위해 길을 나섭니다.

생산성

어려운 경제 상황 가운데 Slack이 거래 성사를 지원하는 방법

엔터프라이즈 영업 담당자가 Slack으로 거래를 더 빠르게 성사시키는 방법을 알아보세요.