For the Localization Practicum project, our main client is Give2Asia, a non-profit that connects US-based donors with projects in Asia.
The connection traces back to a friend of mine who had a summer internship at Give2Asia in 2015. She is studying in the field of social investment and was very excited about this internship, so when I was looking for non-profits to work on localization projects, Give2Asia was one of the first organizations that popped up in my mind.
I drafted an email, briefly introducing localization, our group members, our intention of cooperation, and types of projects we are interested in. My friend helped forwarded the email to her supervisor. A couple of days later I heard from my friend that her supervisor was very excited about our proposal and she just needed to run by their marketing team. Though that took some time, eventually we were able to establish the connection with a Development Associate at Give2Asia, and formally launched our localization projects.
Among the first assets we got from our client, there is a 18-page-long of User’s Guide which provides an overview of Give2Asia’s services, a 3 minute version and a 90 second version of video about Give2Asia, and a one-page Fiscal Sponsorship Brochure. What I appreciated the most is that the client tells us who the audiences will be for these files, so that we will known what register to use during translation.
After some group discussion, we decided to take the one-page brochure as a pilot project for Give2Asia. The reason we wanted to have a pilot project with the client is to visualize the difference between translation and localization, so that the client will have a better idea of what we can offer. The brochure was sent in pdf at first. After hearing us explaining how we could recreate the whole document ready for publish with the source files, the client gladly sent us the original Word file.
Left: Brochure in English
Right: Brochure in Simplified Chinese
The second week I scheduled a skype meeting with our client to talk more about our process and exchange ideas. It would be much more efficient than email communication, and I would be able to answer any questions our client might have. Indeed, the skype turned out to be very constructive. The client agreed to do a review for the Brochure and User’s Guide before final delivery, and we touched base on an estimated turnaround time for the Brochure. In terms of the two videos, the client would reach out to see if they could provide the source files. However, later we found out that the videos were on Vimeo, and with a Chrome extension we were able to easily download the videos and start working on transcriptions. We even talked about dubbing the video, which the client was definitely interested in. It would be a challenging yet very exciting project for us as well. Moreover, as we expressed interest in localizing Give2Asia’s website, the client also agreed to direct us some pages for a start.
As we proposed several projects during the meeting, the client was a little bit concerned about how much content we can take on during 3 to 4 months of time. It was also essential for us to make a detailed plan in terms of time and resources in order to keep track of the progress. Therefore, we promised to send the client a schedule with a list of projects and turnaround time for each.
With the support from the client, we were able to fully engage in localization of the current assets and expect more to come in the next weeks. By the end of the meeting, I invited our client to give a talk either in person or over skype to the whole class if possible. Give2Asia hires summer interns every year, and though MIIS currently does not have established connection with Give2Asia, it would be great to get to know more about the organization and its services.
Overall, I would say our communication with Give2Asia has always been very efficient and helpful. The most important factor during our communication is that our client sees this cooperation truly as a mutual benefit. We as students will gain a lot of hands on experience, and Give2Aisa will also benefit from the translation of a few fundamental documents and media. As we established such common vision during the first email exchange, it sets the foundation for a smooth process in the future.
Emily Du @ MIIS 