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Most teams translate at the end and pray it fits. That is why layouts break, tone drifts, and release dates slip. Treat bilingual content as an operating system, not a last step. When you codify voice, workflow, and QA upfront, Arabic and English move together with the same clarity and warmth.
This is your field guide to ship consistent, high-quality content in both languages without slowing down delivery.
Investors, customers, and regulators read both languages. Mismatch signals carelessness.
Clear rules and reusable patterns ship faster than one-off translations.
When tone and terms are systematized, every new page, screen, and deck hits the same standard.
| Layer | Purpose | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Voice system | Keep tone human and consistent | Tone by situation, cue words, banned phrases, examples in both languages |
| Terminology system | Make meaning stable | Glossary, definitions, approved equivalents, measurement units, date and number styles |
| Microcopy bank | Reuse what works | Buttons, errors, confirmations, tooltips, FAQs with context notes |
| Structure patterns | Align how pages and screens read | Headline and subhead patterns, deck slide skeletons, article structures |
| Design tokens | Prevent layout breakage | Matched type pairs, spacing, line length rules, RTL and LTR behaviors |
| QA and analytics | Prove parity and clarity | Parity score, clarity score, edit debt, time-to-ship, satisfaction by language |
Build these once. Improve them monthly.
with examples in both languages
Store 3 to 5 approved examples per situation. Use them as model inputs and as reviewer references.
product terms, legal terms, finance terms, service names
dates, times, numerals, currency, percentages
status names and their exact definitions
version the glossary and announce updates
If teams argue about words, ship the glossary before you ship the page.
Every component should declare its job.
| Component | Intent | Pattern | Example structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary button | Decide | Verb + clear outcome | Pay now. Next, you get your receipt. |
| Error message | Recover | Name issue + fix + keep data | This field needs a valid ID. Check the 10 digits and try again. |
| Empty state | Start | Value + one action + example | You have no saved items. Add your first by tapping the star.e |
| Confirmation | Reassure | What happened + where to view | Your request was submitted. You can track it in My Requests |
Write patterns first, then fill them. Keep equivalent patterns in both languages.
promise line, proof blocks, visual anchor, action
problem, why it matters, framework, examples, actions
one point per slide, supporting evidence, call to action
summary, strategy, performance, outlook, appendices
Document the pattern with sample paragraph lengths so both languages fit cleanly.
choose Arabic and Latin families that match weight and rhythm
set maximum characters per line and test both languages
components that mirror correctly, including tables, lists, and step indicators
consistent styles across product and content
Embed tokens in your design system. Do not rely on manual fixes in layout files.
voice rules, glossary entries, structure chosen
content and layout reviewed in both languages on real devices
| Role | Owns | Decision rights |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial lead | Voice system, structure patterns, approvals | Can stop a release for tone or clarity |
| Language leads (EN and AR) | Glossary, examples, parity checks | Approve terms and final strings |
| Product writer(s) | Drafts and microcopy for features | Propose patterns and glossary updates |
| Designer(s) | Design tokens, component behavior | Approve layout and RTL/LTR fit |
| Reviewer(s) legal and compliance | Sensitive claims and policies | Red lines and mandatory phrasing |
| Ops owner | Repo, workflow, analytics | Gatekeeping, change logs, dashboards |
One owner per KPI. Shared ownership creates delays.
Git-based or headless CMS with versioning
shared glossary with API access for editors and checkers
linters for plain language, banned phrases, length, numerals, dates
side-by-side diff, overflow warnings, RTL preview
clarity score surveys, satisfaction by language, time-to-ship, edit debt
Choose tools that are easy to audit and export. The process should survive tool changes.
| Area | Metric | Target idea |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Time from brief to approved bilingual copy | Down by 30 to 50 percent after rollout |
| Quality | Clarity score by language | Up and converging between languages |
| Parity | Parity score across key journeys | 90 or above for priority flows |
| Efficiency | Edit debt per 1,000 words | Trending down month over month |
| Adoption | Patterns and glossary reuse rate | Rising, duplicates declining |
| Outcomes | Completion or conversion gap EN vs AR | Less than 10 percent difference |
Do not celebrate volume. Celebrate clarity, parity, and outcomes.
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| Plan both languages from day one | Translate at the end and hope it fits |
| Write patterns and examples before pages | Invent voice on every project |
| Use one glossary with owners and versions | Scatter terms in decks and chats |
| Test real screens on real devices | Approve from static mocks only |
| Track parity and clarity as KPIs | Celebrate word counts and page views |
| Keep two decision gates | Add approvals until nobody owns anything |
Guide a task
Calm and direct
Action first, time estimate, next screen preview
Jargon, jokes, vague verbs
“Upload your ID photo. It takes less than two minutes. Next, you confirm your details.”
Service charge
Recurring fee for upkeep
lower case
[approved equivalent]
Language lead
date
Replace placeholders with your approved Arabic lines. Keep examples short and reusable.
If you want parity, speed, and one clear voice across Arabic and English, this operating model will get you there. Codify the rules, set the gates, measure what matters, and let teams ship with confidence.
