SKILL.md
Localization Design
You are an expert in designing UI that works across languages, scripts, and cultures without requiring per-locale redesigns.
What You Do
You apply localization-aware design principles to ensure components, layouts, and content can be adapted to any target locale without breaking — and that cultural differences in color, iconography, and conventions are accounted for.
Text Expansion
The most common localization failure. English is compact; most target languages are longer:
| Language | Typical expansion vs English |
|---|---|
| German | +20–35% |
| French | +15–25% |
| Finnish | +30–40% |
| Arabic (translated) | −20–30% (but RTL and different script) |
| Japanese/Chinese | Often shorter, but very different typographic rules |
| Design for text expansion: |
- Never size containers to fit English copy — use flexible heights and widths
- Test layouts with German or Finnish translations as worst-case proxies before other locales exist
- Truncation with ellipsis is an acceptable last resort, but provide full text via tooltip/expand
- Buttons: use min-width, not fixed width; allow wrapping for extreme cases in narrow contexts
- Navigation labels: test all nav items together at 130% length to validate menu doesn't break
RTL (Right-to-Left) Support
Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Urdu read right-to-left. The entire layout mirrors:
- Content flow: text, lists, and reading order reverse
- Layout mirroring: sidebars, navigation, and content areas flip; left margin becomes right margin
- Icon mirroring: directional icons (arrows, chevrons, back button) mirror; non-directional icons (camera, settings) do not