Lost in Translation: Finding Gateways Between Markets
Taxonomies are almost always built for specific domains. Can a taxonomy built for a particular market in one language be transposed onto another and retain its value? This presentation will consider the intricacies of translating an occupational taxonomy into different markets and different languages. Is the Spanish job title chofer the same thing as the English driver? How do we handle the fact that an American registrar is an administrative role while an Australian registrar is a trainee doctor?
In this presentation we will give insights into how to deal with intercultural connotations and the cultural differences among and between languages. How do you create gateways in a global taxonomy that are useful for numerous markets and languages, while keeping it sustainable in the future? What about “global” concepts such as marketing or information architecture? What does the use of these English terms in non-English markets tell us?
Attendees will receive an overview of how to take the abstract concept of translation and meaning-making and apply it to specific use cases, in this case occupations at Indeed. More specifically, this presentation will discuss the nuances of cultural underpinnings for taxonomy creation and explore the tensions between global strategy and local implementations.
