Multilingual or Bilingual
Pikselin has successfully deployed numerous websites with multilingual capabilities and continues to refine its best practices in collaboration with diverse client needs. Our projects have included implementation of English, te reo Māori, and NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) functionality.
Pikselin considers the ‘The Māori-English Bilingual Signage: A guide for best practice’ resource produced by Te Puni Kōkiri and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori a great starter for considering bilingual content. The guide hopes to increase and improve bilingual signage throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Bilingual english - te reo
When it comes to presenting side by side bilingual content in a design, it’s important to consider the guide especially in respect to ‘equality of language’, Pikselin agrees the importance of this recommendation and respects the following statement about 'Equality of language' from the guide.
"Equality of language is about making sure that the two languages are treated equally. The objective should be to ensure that both languages are equally easy to read, and establishing a system which provides the most textually parallel and equivalent design possible for both languages"
Source: The Māori-English Bilingual Signage - A guide for best practice.
Highlighting a dedicated section in te reo
A dedicated section tailored specifically to the target audience consistently resonates with users, reinforcing their sense of being in the right place. This page does not feature a toggle option; instead, it incorporates extensive translations, with the primary text presented first.
Our expertise
Full or partial site translation via language toggle
All page components can be seen in their respective language, with a toggle button between the two languages available either at a global level (Full site or page level). For page level toggles, the button can appear towards the top of the content area for easy access.
New Zealand sign language
Pikselin has successfully integrated New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) features on websites where NZSL has been a critical requirement. For this audience, we employ a video-based approach where a sign Language expert conveys the information through video. When users click on the NZSL toggle, the video plays, providing an accessible and engaging experience for those who rely on sign language.
Partial page component translations
The most popular choice among our clients is a bilingual approach, featuring two languages displayed together on most pages. This includes te reo translations for all page titles and the main navigation, with sub-navigation translations available upon request, though not typically recommended. Additional translations can include logos and special feature components on the pages.
Selected pages or sections in the other language
A dedicated section tailored specifically to the target audience consistently resonates with users, reinforcing their sense of being in the right place. This page does not feature a toggle option; instead, it incorporates extensive translations, with the primary text presented first. Eg, Te Reo before the english headings.