Android in Hindi - Google Services Experience

The Customer Experience Company

Android in HindiSyamant Sandhir

Why Android?

• It offers Hindi as a language option. Not just for the keyboard but the entire user interface.

• iOS and Windows Phone offer Hindi as an option for entering information.

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The Purpose

• To understand the completeness of the hindi experience. Would a person, who uses Hindi only, be able to navigate the user interface and be productive.

• This document is a visual look at a few Google services.

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How?

• Google services were downloaded on an Xperia Z Ultra and placed together on screen. First a snapshot of the screen in English was taken and then the device language was set to Hindi. You can compare the two application screens on the next slide.

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Brand Apps Service Apps Utility Apps

Drive, Gmail Analytics, Adsense,

Admin, Device Policy, Device Manager, Google Settings

Play - Games, Movies, Music, Newstand, Store

Hangouts, Photos, Maps

Calendar, Camera,

Chrome and Chromecast

Google Map Engine Translate, Voice Search

Google Now Google Plus, My Business, My Tracks

Docs, Slides, Sheets

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• The chart on the left is a quick classification based on current understanding of Google services. It is clear there are some branded products/services and others are treated as services or utilities. Is a greater visual clarification of this needed?

• The English-Hindi approach of naming is sub-optimal. The previous slide highlights this.

• The naming itself needs to be re-looked. There are too many characters in some names and this results in incomplete display.

• The complication introduced by Device manager, Device Policy, Google Settings and Settings needs a resolution.

On Naming…

Google Maps

1. Agreement In English 2. City/town names in Hindi but Menu in english

3. Request for Location access and direction search in English

4. Location search in English

5. Maps translated to Hindi in app update info but the customer sees Maps in the menu

A recent announcement talked about Google Maps availability in Hindi. The screens above visually depict the inconsistent implementation. 7

A customer who uses the Camera app is likely to use the Photos app too.

Camera - The name and the messaging in the app is in Hindi. Except for Photo Sphere.

Photos - This app is entirely in english.

Overall highlights the need for more work in the Hindi implementation.

Camera and Photos

Camera Photos

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1. Play Store offers are in English , Menus in Hindi. 2. Newstand

3. Games

4. Movies 5. Music

Google Play services

First impressions of these apps seems to suggest a fuller implementation of Hindi.

Awkward naming convention that includes English and Hindi is a key point that needs addressing.

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Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive

Again, a fuller implementation of Hindi though there is some work to be done.

The unusual bit is that Drive translates to Disk for the icon in Hindi. Even called Google Disk within menu options of apps. Will a customer type disk.google.com?

There is a reference to Drive in the Google settings app. Perhaps, creates confusion.

Docs, Sheets and Slides are literally translated into hindi equivalent terms. It seems these are treated as service utilities.

Gmail on the other hand is not translated or written in Hindi in terms of icons.

All this contrasts with services that have been branded Play and whose names are a mix of english and hindi. 10

Most of the My Business app is in hindi except for some references to Google Plus.

Google Plus seems like an incomplete implementation so has as Hindi is concerned.

Since one has to use a Google+ id to manage the My Business app, it does mean that the user is likely to use two languages to complete their tasks.

My Business + Google Plus

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In the Admin app, Google Enterprise spelling is obvious.

While the site refers to google enterprise, the products that it talks about are Google Apps for Business etc.

The customer signs up for one of these services and thus the Google Enterprise nomenclature is not consistent here.

It would be optimal if the language used in the UI and Apps is the same and not a mix and match of 2 languages.

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Google Now has useful familiarisation steps in Hindi. Translate, Voice Search and My Track also seem more complete in terms of Hindi implementation. Maybe these are newer applications and thus seem more inline with regionalisation priorities.

Still need to explore more.

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Futurescape, Delhi

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Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @futurescape

Presentation by Syamant Sandhir

To get in touch, message him on twitter at @syamant or on the email id mentioned on this page.

Futurescape, Delhi

Level 4, Rectangle 1, Commercial Complex D4Saket, Behind Sheraton, DelhiNew Delhi – 110017, INDIA

Futurescape, Mumbai

Level 2, Raheja Centre Point 294 CST RoadNear Mumbai UniversityOff Bandra–Kurla Complex, Santacruz (E)Mumbai – 400098, INDIA

Telephone: +91 9910201783

+91 (11) 6654 4196

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.futurescape.in

Twitter: @futurescape