Creating a Localization Style Guide

A localization style guide might seem like an extra step in your e-learning development process, but it's actually one of the most valuable tools for ensuring consistency and quality across multiple language versions. When working with Articulate 360, a well-crafted style guide helps everyone involved understand exactly how to handle specific content elements, terminology, and design considerations for each target language. Creating this resource upfront saves time, reduces confusion, and leads to a more polished final product that maintains your training's core message and brand identity across all languages.

Key Components of an Effective Localization Style Guide

• Terminology management: Create a glossary of key terms that should be consistently translated across all your Articulate 360 courses. Include industry-specific vocabulary, product names, company terminology, and any words that should remain in the source language. For each term, provide the approved translation in each target language, along with context notes and examples of usage. This glossary becomes especially valuable when multiple people work on different parts of your localization project.
• Voice and tone guidelines: Define how the personality of your content should carry through to each language. Should the tone be formal or conversational? Should cultural references be adapted or removed? Are idioms acceptable if they have equivalents in the target language? With Articulate Localization, you can adjust the formality if the languages support that option.
• Visual design standards: Document how visual elements should be handled during localization. Specify font choices that work across all target languages, color considerations (as colors can have different meanings in different cultures), and image adaptation guidelines. For Storyline projects in particular, note how layouts should accommodate text expansion and how interactive elements should be adapted for right-to-left languages if applicable.
• Formatting conventions: Outline how to handle dates, times, numbers, measurements, currencies, and other formatting elements that vary across regions. For example, specify whether dates should appear as MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY in each target language. These details might seem minor, but they significantly impact how professional and culturally appropriate your localized courses feel to learners.

Next Steps

1. Start with a template: Search for localization style guide templates online and adapt one to fit your needs rather than starting from scratch.
2. Gather stakeholder input: Consult with subject matter experts, brand managers, and local team members to ensure your guide reflects organizational preferences.
3. Create a living document: Set up your style guide in a format that's easy to update and share, such as a cloud-based document or internal wiki.
4. Include examples: Add screenshots and specific examples from your Articulate projects to illustrate guidelines in action.
5. Schedule regular reviews: Plan to update your style guide periodically as you learn from each localization project and encounter new challenges.

Summary

A localization style guide is an essential tool for creating consistent, high-quality multilingual e-learning in Articulate 360. By establishing clear guidelines for terminology, voice and tone, visual design, formatting conventions, and technical specifications, you provide a valuable reference that streamlines the localization process and improves results. This upfront investment in documentation pays dividends throughout your projects by reducing questions, eliminating rework, and ensuring all team members understand expectations. As you develop more localized courses, your style guide will evolve into an increasingly valuable resource that captures your organization's accumulated knowledge about effective e-learning localization.