Last night I was a guest at Nimdzi Live, talking about bringing UX and localization teams together (👈🏼 Click there for the recording). We covered a whole bunch of topics. Like: 🔵 What even is brand voice, and why is it so hard to keep it in localized content? 🔵 Why should localization and UX teams stay in touch? 🔵 Why should everyone in localization learn the basics of UX? 🔵 What will the role of localizers be with AI-generated UX content? But we also covered a question that's been bothering me for a while: Is there a place for LSPs - localization agencies - in today's UX localization landscape?

It used to be that the value LSPs offered was in managing the process and bringing in the linguist. But nowadays, tech clients buy their own loc platform license anyway, and it's much easier for them to find linguists across the many social networks and directories available.

It's still a hassle, you'd say. And you'd be right. But the fact is that having someone else source your linguists and manage your processes has proven itself as a poor strategy for UX teams. To put it simply: The results are bad. The content is generic at best. And you can kiss your brand voice goodbye.

Does this means LSPs are obsolete?

No, it doesn't. It just means they need to find a new way to offer value. And for agencies hoping to work with UX teams, that starts with learning about UX. Why? 🔵 You can't claim to support UX localization without understanding what good UX means, i.e. what you're expected to provide. 🔵 You can't figure out how to offer value without understanding what your clients need (in this case, UX teams in software companies). And yes, I have a UX workshop for LSPs opening in just 3 weeks - but this isn't a plug email. I have my ideas, but I'd genuinely love to know what you think here. What kind of value can LSPs offer to UX teams in 2023?

I'm here for your replies and your questions, Michal