DeepL
DeepL is a neural machine translation service.
UX Writing
Issues
Users are often unaware of the features offered within DeepL’s web translator, and how they can improve their experience.
The glossary feature, in particular, isn’t understood by many users.
Some of the error messages used in DeepL’s file translator tool aren’t optimised.
To do
Review the web translator and look for ways to use copy to increase the use of features and improve the user experience.
Explore ways to better explain what the glossary feature does.
Review the three error messages for the file translator, and look for ways to improve the copy.
Competitor analysis
I looked at competitors to DeepL (LanguageWire, EasyTranslate, Language Weaver, Unbabel) to learn how they approached these problems, and see if they could provide inspiration.
Idea 1 - Quick tour
We could increase use of DeepL’s features by offering a quick tour of them. This could appear as a collapsible banner at the top, or as a permanent option within the translator.
The copy should emphasise the wider benefits that DeepL’s features have to offer, and invite intrigue on the part of the user.
This is an idea targeted at new users, but a copy option should be included that targets existing users by talking about new features.
Different options should be tested to see what drives engagement best.
Copy options:
See what else DeepL has to offer. Take a quick tour of our features.
Are you making the most of DeepL? Take a quick tour of our features.
We’re launching features all the time. Take a quick tour and see what’s new.
Clicking on this option would open a few small windows that show DeepL’s features and quickly explain their benefits.
Idea 2 - File translation feature
Instead of typing text to be translated, users can drag and drop files into the web translator. However, this feature isn’t very prominent, as user research shows:
The file translation copy is small and tucked way under the copy ‘Type to translate’. LanguageWire places their file translation copy in the centre of the box, which makes it stand out.
New copy:
Translate an entire document by dragging and dropping PDF, Word (.docx) and PowerPoint (.pptx) files here.
All translated documents keep their original formatting.
The copy has been moved to the centre to make it stand out more as an alternative to typing text.
By leading with ‘Translate an entire document’, the copy is made more active, and the benefit to the user is made clear.
I’ve added a sentence about the translated document keeping the original formatting, as this is a good benefit.
Idea 3 - Tone feature
With DeepL Pro, users can switch between a formal and informal tone in their translation. For users of the free version, the tone is set automatically.
This is shown with a button labelled ‘Formal/informal’. It’s not obvious what this button does. The tooltip helps a bit by saying ‘Choose the tone of your translation’.
Since free users can’t really utilise this feature, the button copy could be changed to advertise the benefit and function available if they upgrade.
New copy:
Choose translation tone
Glossary feature
This feature lets users personalise their experience with DeepL, setting rules to ensure that key words and phrases are always translated in a certain way.
The button doesn’t really stand out visually. It’s not apparent what it does, and the tooltip (‘Choose how words are translated’) doesn’t offer much clarification.
‘Glossary’ brings to mind a dull, static resource to be consulted. The button copy should show that this is a dynamic tool to be used. The benefits of personalisation and customisation should be emphasised in the button and tooltip copy, and in the feature itself.
I’ve tried ‘Customize word rules’ for the button, because I like the use of the active verb and emphasis on customisation. I also want to see if including ‘word’ here makes the function clearer to users.
I recommend user testing this along with other options to see which one is most clear. I’d ask users what they would expect to find behind these copy options:
Create rules
Custom rules
Customization
Personalization
Set customized rules
Set rules
The tooltip here should emphasise the benefits of this feature, and more clearly explain exactly what it does.
New copy:
Set rules for how words and phrases are translated
New copy:
Save editing time by setting rules for how words and phrases are translated
Error messages
Users trying to translate a file are met with the following error messages:
The file you have uploaded is too large, only files up to 10mb are supported.
The file you have uploaded is bigger than the supported maximum of 5mb. When using the free translator, you can translate max 5mb files.
File type not supported.
The issues with these are:
They show a lack of empathy for the user encountering a problem.
They either don’t offer the user a solution for how to get around the problem, or don’t make the solution clear enough.
Instead of talking about the limitations of the free version, we should talk about the benefits of the pro version.
‘mb’ isn’t a typical abbreviation for megabytes. I’ll check the DeepL style guide, but for now I’ll use ‘MB’
Old copy:
The file you have uploaded is too large, only files up to 10mb are supported.
New copy:
That file is too large. Please upload a file less than 10MB.
Old copy:
The file you have uploaded is bigger than the supported maximum of 5mb. When using the free translator, you can translate max 5mb files.
New copy:
That file is too large. Please upload a file less than 5MB, or upgrade to DeepL Pro to translate larger files.
Old copy:
File type not supported.
New copy:
We can't translate that file type. Please upload a PDF, Word (.docx) or PowerPoint (.pptx) file.