Why design localization is crucial for global companies (and how to make it easier)

Contributed by: Michael Levot, Head of Localization at Canva

In today’s globalized market, design localization has become a key strategy for companies seeking to connect with diverse audiences in meaningful ways. For platforms like Canva, with more than 220 million users worldwide, the stakes are particularly high. The designs created by users are more than just visual assets—they are powerful communication tools that drive engagement and conversion.

At Canva, localization is not just a technical process; it’s a way to ensure that every user feels seen and represented. Without thoughtful localization, designs may fail to resonate with audiences in different regions. If users can’t identify with the designs or feel that they don’t speak to their needs and culture, companies can lose touch with them. This is why localization goes beyond simply translating text—it’s about adjusting every aspect of the design to reflect the local culture, from typography to imagery, to maintain a consistent and inclusive brand presence globally.

The challenges of design localization

Localization is a complex and multifaceted process that involves much more than just translating words. Designers and localization teams face several challenges when adapting content for different languages and cultures:

1. Fonts: Different languages have different character sets, and not all fonts are compatible across languages. For example, a font that works well in English might not support the necessary characters for languages like Arabic or Chinese, creating a design dilemma.
2. Photography: Visuals play a significant role in design, but preferences for imagery can vary greatly between cultures. What works in one region might not be appropriate or effective in another. Therefore, Brand Kits (sets of assets like logos, templates, color palettes, and more) must be adaptable to different regional preferences, offering different images while maintaining the brand's core message.
3. Operational complexity: A significant challenge in localization is the operational complexity of translating and reintegrating content back into the design. Previously, users had to go through a tedious process, such as exporting Canva designs to PowerPoint, converting them to CSVs, and manually reimporting them after translation. This workflow was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors.

Building a design localization process that works

Canva saw the challenge of operational complexity as a place where they could make an immediate impact and started to look for ways to streamline the design localization process. One of the first steps in this journey was the introduction of Canva Translate, an AI translation tool that provided quick, automated translations within the platform. It quickly became popular, particularly among educators and students who used the feature to translate educational materials.

However, Canva Translate didn’t fully meet the needs of an important subset of users: large enterprises. These users were often translating very high-value content and wanted human-reviewed translations to ensure accuracy and quality. 

To address this, Canva decided to integrate with its long-time translation management platform, Smartling. This integration would ultimately not just provide users access to more translation options, but also be a major improvement in the company’s own translation process. Now, the translation process is incredibly simple - just select your content and the language you want to translate into, and translations begin.

The impact of simplified design localization

Canva was the first to test the new Smartling integration, running internal trials before opening it up to users. One of the primary use cases involved translating large brand guideline presentations, sometimes spanning over 100 pages. These translations used to take weeks, cost thousands of dollars, and often required redundant translations for even minor changes.

With the new integration, Canva was able to drastically reduce its own translation time and costs. The use of translation memory (a database of previously translated content) and approved terminology for consistent branding, meant that only new or modified content needed translation, allowing designs to be localized within hours instead of weeks. This streamlined process has saved them significant resources and improved overall team productivity.

Several benefits have emerged from Canva's investment in design localization:

• Faster time to market: By eliminating manual steps, the translation process has been accelerated, allowing businesses to get their localized designs to market more quickly. This is particularly valuable for businesses that operate on tight deadlines or in fast-paced industries.
• Cost savings: Translation memory reduces redundant work, allowing businesses to avoid paying for translations of content that hasn’t changed. This makes localization more affordable and enables businesses to keep their multilingual content fresh and consistent without breaking the bank.
• Improved translation quality: With the integration of Smartling, users now have access to various translation options that ensure high-quality output. From machine translation to human review, all translations are aligned with the brand’s style guides, glossary, and translation memories, maintaining consistency and quality.

Looking forward: The future of design localization

As Canva continues to evolve, the company is excited about the future of localization. One of the core features of the platform is the Brand Kit, which allows users to create consistent branding across their designs by setting up logos, templates, and imagery. This functionality is a natural fit for users creating localized content, as it enables businesses to adapt their brand identity across different languages and regions while maintaining a unified visual presence.

Using Brand Kits for localization will be a game-changer for Canva users, especially for large enterprise teams that need to manage multiple regional campaigns. It has the potential to bring true localization to a new level, incorporating creative elements such as photography and design into the localization process—not just the text.

Looking forward, Canva is committed to pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in design localization. By integrating localization into the design process, Canva is empowering users to create content that not only speaks the right language but also resonates with diverse cultural contexts. The future of design localization is not simply about translation; it's about crafting designs that authentically represent the global diversity of Canva's community.