Localising and Internationalising Graphics and Visual Information Commentary

The rapid evolution of digital products has given birth to a revolution in the way we communicate. As the international audiences for our software, hardware, and portable digital products expand, the amount of time and money that we invest in translating, localising, and internationalising our products for multiple languages or audiences increases dramatically. In doing so, one tactic to reduce the word count and maximise usability is to produce highly graphic information - using pictures in accompaniment with (or in replacement of) words to help communicate our product information or end-user instruction. Although the professional communications industry is only beginning to consider the importance of localising graphic information, it is a fundamentally necessary step in producing effective information, and an important consideration for developers of information products