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Untranslate Application by Arani Halder |
Home > Winners > Design #146106 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
AH: Untranslate explores the barrier between languages through the subjective experiences of people. It is an application that teaches you the nuances of a language through context-based learning. Deviating from the traditional academic sources, it introduces you to specific cultural content that can only be learnt by living in the corresponding place or through conversations with native speakers. Through Untranslate, one not only understands a piece of language but is able to engage and contextualize it within its nuanced surroundings.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
AH: I chose to focus on the many words and phrases in various languages that are specific to the culture and context in which they are used and cannot be fully translated into other languages without losing their full meaning. My aim through Untranslate was to create a design system that is inclusive and culturally sensitive and create a better understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural perspectives.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
AH: I hope to be able to add more languages to the application to widen its audience and reach. I also hope to collaborate with developers who can help me turn this concept into a product.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
AH: I started working on the concept in January 2020 worked on it on and off to finally finish it in May 2021.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
AH: Untranslate was a personal project. A lot of my work focusses on themes of language, culture, pluralism, autonomy and the power of knowing one’s roots. I have always aimed to open windows into the lives of different people and the broader socio-political movements that help shape them. However, I had never worked on a project as extensive as this one. Untranslate was quite eye-opening for me as I got to speak with and learn from a vast range of people over the course of the project. I learnt about several different cultures and languages, and how these affect the way one perceives the world.
FS: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
AH: I am not looking to sell the rights of this design/project to any organization any time soon.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
AH: I love creating work that explores the connections between language, culture, pluralism and is heavily influenced by my experiences. The primary concept of this project stemmed from the notion that language by itself can be an ineffective tool in seamlessly communicating across borders and backgrounds. During building the content and flow of the app, it was very important to get information from credible, first hand sources and be mindful of any social and culturally relevant information. There were several rounds of fact checking, so as to produce the most accurate and unbiased content. I made sure to interview at least 20-25 native speakers (2-3 for every language used) in order to get the most accurate information. The purpose of the interviews was to obtain experiential information about their perception of language, their social and political associations with it, in addition to any anecdotes they may have related to their linguistic background.
FS: Who is the target customer for his design?
AH: The audience that I chose for this app is quite widespread, but hasn’t been explored as much yet. The target audience for Untranslate was the large number of people who grow up outside their state or country often lose the privilege of being immersed in their native languages and cultures. In post-colonial countries where the generational gap is exacerbated by the fact that younger generations now rely more heavily on colonial languages than their native ones; linguistic design can help motivate deeper connections to family and culture. Further immersing readers in historical, political, pop cultural works can also help them understand the time periods and contexts within which their older or younger counterparts have grown up. This understanding allows for more nuanced and more perceptive communication. So, though my target audience is relatively untapped, I believe that the concept of Untranslated is quite approachable and relatable.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
AH: “Untranslate” is a nod to the many words and phrases in various languages that are specific to the culture and context in which they are used and cannot be fully translated into other languages without losing their full meaning.
FS: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
AH: I used Adobe InDesign and Illustrator for typesetting and illustrations. Additionally, I used sketch to create the wireframes of the app and Principle to animate the interactive user interfaces.
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
AH: Apart from the concept, Untranslate is backed by extensive research. Through the research, I made sure that the app addresses the needs of the user or client and is easy and intuitive to use. Untranslate also has some interesting features such as users can bookmark content for future reference or share it on social media. They can also save words that they have already learnt about in case they want to access them in the future.
FS: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
AH: I collaborated with a diverse group of people for the content of this application. I made sure to interview at least 20-25 native speakers (2-3 for every language used) in order to get the most accurate information. The purpose of the interviews was to obtain experiential information about their perception of language, their social and political associations with it, in addition to any anecdotes they may have related to their linguistic background.
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
AH: I wanted my work to reach a wide audience, and an international design competition seemed like the perfect platform to do so. Through the competition, I wanted to start a discourse on the social implication of design and how it can be used to have a positive impact on individuals and society.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A' Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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