Translation Study

Objective

On mozilla.org, some pages were translated by our dedicated community of volunteer contributors. Because this work was voluntary, there were times when users encountered pages that weren’t available in their preferred language.

To improve this experience, I conducted a study to answer a key question: What should we serve users when a translation isn’t available? Should we display an error message, or should we default to the English version?

By exploring these options, we aimed to find a solution that ensured users could still access the information they needed while maintaining a seamless and inclusive experience.

Research Methods

To better understand how users experience untranslated pages, I conducted an unmoderated usability test on UserTesting.com. I recruited 10 French-speaking participants who could also read and understand English.

Participants were asked to navigate to a specific page in French, their preferred language. They were then randomly shown either:

  1. A French error message explaining that the page was unavailable

  2. The English version of the page without explaining that the french translation was unavailable .

Afterward, I gathered feedback on their experience and perception. I explored how they felt about encountering an error message versus having the language switch unexpectedly. This study helped us determine the most user-friendly approach to handling missing translations while ensuring a seamless browsing experience even if it meant serving our users a different language.

Observations

The study revealed that participants preferred to receive content in French, their preferred language. However, they also shared that much of the content they consume online is not always translated, and they often rely on browser translation tools, like Chrome’s built-in translator, to bridge the gap.

Additionally, both bilingual users and automated translation tools struggled with accurately translating jargon and idioms, often leading to misunderstandings. These insights underscored the importance of providing clear, accessible content while supporting tools that help users navigate language barriers seamlessly.

Insights

When presented with the choice between an error message or content in english, participants preferred accessing the content in English rather than encountering an error message with no content at all.

Additionally, 4 out of 10 participants reported using translation tools to convert English content into French, highlighting the importance of providing access to information first, while allowing users to adapt it to their needs.

Outcome

Based on the study’s findings, I proposed creating a simplified English version of mozilla.org content specifically designed for users whose default language is not English and optimized for translation tools. This approach would ensure clearer, more accurate translations while making content more accessible.

Shortly after the study, Firefox’s in-browser translation feature was released. Combined with simplified English, this solution aimed to bridge language gaps, making Mozilla’s content more consistent, user-friendly, and globally accessible.