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Localizing for a Global Audience

Gap Inc and 1 Second Everyday

Localization is more than just translation—it’s about adapting digital experiences to feel native to different markets while maintaining brand consistency and usability. At Gap Inc. and 1 Second Everyday, I played a key role in ensuring our products were accessible, legally compliant, and intuitive for international users.


This case study explores two localization challenges I tackled:

1. Gap Inc. – Adapting site navigation and legal compliance for French-speaking customers in Canada

2. 1 Second Everyday – Ensuring seamless translation and regionalization for Mexico and Germany, our second- and third-largest markets



 


Gap Inc.: Navigating Localization Challenges for Canada


As a Senior Product Designer at Gap Inc., I worked on refining our navigation and footer components to accommodate the needs of French-speaking users in Canada. The challenge was to balance legal compliance, usability, and seamless navigation while maintaining design consistency across multiple brand sites.


Challenges & Considerations


1. Bilingual Navigation Constraints

  • The Canadian e-commerce site needed to support both English and French without disrupting the UX.

  • Some navigation labels were significantly longer in French, affecting dropdown menus and mobile usability.


2. Legal Compliance in the Footer

  • Canadian regulations required additional disclosures that did not exist on the U.S. site.

  • The footer had to accommodate expanded legal copy without overwhelming users or creating layout issues.


Process & Solutions


1. Research & Competitive Analysis


To ensure we were aligning with best practices, I conducted a competitive audit of bilingual retail sites such as Lululemon, Canadian Tire, and Amazon Canada. I analyzed how they handled language switching, legal disclaimers, and navigation.


Key Finding: The best implementations allowed users to toggle languages without disrupting their session or requiring a full-page reload.



English/French toggle on Canadian footer


2. Adapting Navigation for French


  • Revised Dropdowns: To accommodate longer French words, we adjusted line breaks in the dropdown navigation to prevent text truncation.

  • Mobile Optimization: We ensured mobile menus allowed for text expansion without affecting touch targets.

  • Testing: Using Figma prototypes and Optimizely, we previewed navigation in both languages to confirm readability.





3. Expanding the Footer for Legal Compliance


  • Worked closely with legal and content teams to determine required vs. optional legal disclaimers.

  • Implemented responsive adjustments to ensure readability without cluttering mobile screens.



Old Navy pre-footer, complying with legal disclaimers


Banana Republic pre-footer, complying with legal disclaimers

Results


✔ Reduced user confusion by ensuring a seamless transition between English and French.

✔ Ensured the Canadian site met all legal requirements while maintaining a clean, user-friendly layout.

✔ Improved mobile navigation by accommodating language variations without compromising usability.



 


1 Second Everyday: Localizing for Mexico and Germany


At 1 Second Everyday, a globally recognized video journaling app, our second- and third-largest markets were Mexico and Germany. Expanding into these markets required careful translation, UI adjustments, and cultural considerations to ensure the app felt truly localized.


Challenges & Considerations


1. Ensuring Accurate & Natural Translations

  • Machine translations often failed to capture regional nuances (e.g., informal vs. formal tone).


2. Handling Long German Text Strings

  • German has a tendency for long compound words, which caused UI overflow issues in buttons, menus, and error messages.

  • Ensuring text fit on mobile screens without truncation or breaking the layout was a major challenge.


3. Regionalizing the Experience

  • Date & Time Formats: Adapting how we displayed dates to match local conventions (DD.MM.YYYY vs. MM/DD/YYYY).

  • Currency & Payment Differences: Ensuring subscription pricing and Apple Store listings reflected local expectations.

  • Cultural Sensitivity: Adjusting imagery and onboarding messaging to feel more relevant to users in these regions.


Process & Solutions


1. Translation Strategy


We partnered with native-speaking localization experts (and coworkers) instead of relying solely on automated translations.

  • Worked with Mexican Spanish speakers to ensure informal phrasing felt natural.

  • Adjusted German translations to fit UI constraints while preserving meaning.


Key Example: The English phrase “Tap to start recording” had a direct German translation that was too long for our button. We reworded it to “Zum Starten tippen”, which fit within the UI constraints while keeping clarity.


While "snippet" was a branded word for 1SE in english, "Clip" was more intuitive for translations into German and Spanish


2. UI Adjustments for Long German Text


  • Created dynamic buttons that adjusted in size based on language selection.

  • Applied adaptive font scaling to ensure text remained legible without breaking layouts.

  • Designed flexible error messages, avoiding long text in modals by using icons and concise messaging.





3. Testing & Iteration


  • Conducted localized usability testing with users in Mexico and Germany via remote testing platforms.

  • Analyzed heatmaps and session recordings to see where users struggled with text or formatting.

  • Implemented A/B testing on different translations to measure comprehension and engagement.



Results


✔ Increased engagement in Mexico and Germany due to a more intuitive, culturally relevant experience.

✔ Eliminated UI breaking issues caused by long German translations.

✔ Ensured the app maintained brand consistency while feeling native to international users.

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