Case Study 2 – Linguistic Sign-Off of Mobile User Interface Screenshots

Case Study 2 – Linguistic Sign-Off of Mobile User Interface Screenshots

Project parameters:

Language combination: English-Bulgarian

Service type: linguistic sign-off (LSO)

Volume: 1980 screenshots, estimated to 80 working hours by the client

Start date: 3 September 2019

Turnaround time: 11 working days

Oltrans has been an established name in the translation industry since 2006. Our clients are individuals and companies, both from Bulgaria and abroad. Our agency offers a broad spectrum of services, one of which is Linguistic sign-off (LSO) of Bulgarian translations.

On 24 September 2019, we received an email from a foreign company’s representative, requesting that particular service. The inquiry was precisely about linguistic sign-off of an English-to-Bulgarian translation of mobile user interface screenshots. In other words, the client needed professional proofreading of an already completed English-to-Bulgarian translation of their product.

After confirming that we would be able to provide the service within the client’s deadline, the task was commissioned to an editor, experienced in performing linguistic sign-off of English-to-Bulgarian translations. The client provided the following files: screenshots in the source language (English); screenshots translated into Bulgarian; .xlsx file for error descriptions and translation corrections.

One of the requirements for this project was to send the achieved work results at the end of each day, as opposed to the entire completed project at once.

The workflow proceeded as follows:

1. Editor: comparison between the screenshots in the source language and the Bulgarian translation; description of the necessary corrections in the .xls file; highlighting the errors in the Bulgarian screenshots; the project manager submitting the finished work at the end of each day.
2. Project manager: submission of the daily work results to the client via email.
3. Confirmation of receipt by the client.

The project was challenging and complex as it called for several different skills and competencies of the linguist:

• excellent command of the source language – English in this case;
• excellent command of the target language – spelling, punctuation, syntax, grammar;
• excellent knowledge of stylistics and language norms;
• in-depth knowledge of software technologies, more specifically mobile devices, as well as legal competence because the project contained a good amount of legal texts;
• the ability to detect errors in the design and structure of the text – alignment, font size, incorrect text positioning on the screen, missing text, etc.;
• translation localization – compliance with the language norms of the region which the device is intended for – Bulgaria in this case;
• the ability to use image processing programs – such a program is used to highlight the errors in the screenshots;
• swift performance due to the short deadline and the ability to prioritize the most major errors for correction.

The following images illustrate the workflow:

As evident from the screenshots, the source text says “Albums”, which has been translated as “Набор изоб…” (Set of images) in the target screenshot. The translation is incorrect. The correct translation here is “Албуми” (Bulgarian for albums) The editor highlighted this part as an error and suggested an appropriate correction.

Ultimately, all 1980 screenshots underwent all stages of the workflow over the span of 11 working days (the deadline set by the client). The project was a complete success thanks to the combination of an established routine, professionalism and high-quality work at the Oltrans translation agency, which is largely due to the fact that our team is composed of linguists, both by education and vocation. This is precisely why our agency takes on all sorts of projects in the language services industry from clients in Bulgaria and abroad, with the expected level of professionalism, but also with a great deal of pleasure.

For more information and inquiries, please, call +359 700 11 502 or reach out to us by filling out our Request Form.