Studio culture & creative process / DIJION
An interface content inventory: from buttons to error messages
A content-inventory plan separating text from screenshots and organizing keys, context, variables and language counterparts.
When the same action is called Save on one screen and Done on another, translation may not be the main problem. The action’s meaning may have been lost. In an illustrative bilingual notes app, a shared inventory of controls, help, errors and success messages can make inconsistencies easier to investigate than searching visual files alone.
Give text a stable identity and context
A key does not need to be the visible wording itself. A stable identifier connected to an action and state can help track revisions. The same English word may require different Turkish wording in different contexts; do not force every match into one shared string. The inventory should expose meaning, not blindly merge textual duplicates.
Include the information a translator needs
Scroll the table horizontally to see all columns.
| Field | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Identifier | draft.save.success | Stable reference to the message |
| Context | Local draft was persisted | Avoid an incorrect success promise |
| Variable | Optional record title | Length and empty-value checks |
Review variables inside complete sentences
Names, counts and dates can change a sentence’s grammar. Give translators the complete sentence and context instead of relying on concatenated fragments. Include empty and unusually long values. Test Turkish characters and differing number formats. Check the localization system’s actual plural and formatting support before applying one rule indiscriminately across languages.
Define the authoritative copy
If design files, spreadsheets and code disagree, identify which holds the approved version. Record ownership and revision state. Review errors and success messages again when behavior changes. Marking a translation complete does not establish that it works on a narrow screen; in-product inspection remains a separate step.
Reconcile the inventory with the product
- Map each text key to its visible product state.
- Try long, empty and variable-containing examples in both languages.
- Find dependent states before removing unused text.
- Revisit success and error promises when behavior changes.
The deliverable is more than a translation table. It preserves meaning, ownership and the connection to real behavior so those questions remain visible as screens or languages grow.