LISA Global Strategies Summit
LISA Workshops in Boston, MA
Producing Multilingual Documentation: Cost Effective Design and DTP
Designing documents to facilitate localization and multilingual production requirements 9am - 5pm : Friday, May 27, 2005
Designing documents with localization in mind requires planning and awareness of issues raised by localization. Options for localization range from distribution of printed single-language manuals for each market to truly multilingual books that present two or more languages in a single volume, as well as a number of other types. Designing documents requires authors to understand the various production options available, as well as how these options impact document layout and the choice of software and production tools. Additional awareness of how documents are physically produced is also an important factor.
Because so many options are available, document designers need to understand the practical implications of their decisions, and how to choose which options will work best for their needs. They also need to be aware of how the localization process takes a single-language source document and produces localized documents. Preparing documents for effective localization involves taking factors like text expansion and font/encoding issues into account, and affects even the most basic aspects of document design, like layout, into consideration. This workshop covers how to design documents for easier localization and the various design options available and their strengths and weaknesses.
Technology is another important factor influencing document design decisions. Not all DTP/authoring applications support all languages equally well (or even at all), and not all translation tools support all all DTP/authoring applications. A solution that might work very well for an English to German workflow might introduce problems when extended to include Japanese or Arabic. This workshop reviews all the major DTP/authoring applications and localization tools to show what considerations may apply for specific situations and to help you select the best tool for specific projects.
The workshop concludes with a discussion of language specific issues such as adapting layouts and graphics for right-to-left or bi-directional languages, and then discusses common problems and how to avoid them. It also introduces an incremental approach to improving the state of existing documentation to facilitate future projects using legacy material.
Who will benefit from this workshop and why?
Anyone involved in the production of international documentation will learn effective strategies for improving their international documentation and streamlining their process.
| Who: |
Interested in...
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Technical writers/designers
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- Improving quality and consistency within multiple language versions
- Decreasing time spent on modifying completed documents to resolve problems that arise during localization
- Decreasing printing and localization costs without sacrificing quality
- Selecting proper tools for jobs to prevent down-stream problems/surprises
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Localization service providers
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- Helping their clients streamline production and reduce localization hassles
- Correcting document design errors once in the source rather than many times in each target language
- Advising their clients on how best to reach their markets
- Reducing the amount of time spent correcting problems
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Product managers
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- Learning how to reach their users in the most cost-effective manner
- Developing a consistent and integrated approach to producing international documentation
- Improving the quality of localized documentation
- Decreasing the amount of time spent in localization post-production tasks such as DTP
- Making sure that documentation prepared for one medium can be effectively leveraged for other media
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| Localization managers |
- Better integrating authoring/creation and localization processes
- Selecting tools/resources that will work with specific projects
- Knowing how to deal with "problem" projects when they do arise
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About LISA Workshops
LISA Workshops make use of presenters with real-world experience in the subjects they teach about. Workshops do not pitch any products or services, but instead provide a general overview with candid and practical evaluations of tools and products that impact your business.
About Arle Lommel
Arle Lommel has over ten years or experience in document design and localization. Arle is currently Publications Manager with LISA, where he is in charge of the publication of LISA documents. He has been active with LISA since 1996.
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