THOUGHTWORKS
Translation Cards
Rapid translations for humanitarian first responders.
ROLE
Software Development Lead
Design
Project Management
At the height of the Syrian refugee crisis of 2016, field workers in the Greek island of Lesvos were struggling to aid the daily volume of refugees arriving (~3,300 people arrived every day in November).
As translators are a scarce resource and field workers aren’t always fluent in the variety of languages refugees may speak, a tap ’n’ speak flashcard app would be useful.
Designed in collaboration with UNHCR, Mercy Corps, and Google, Translation Cards is an app that allows for tap-and-play audio translations, even in the most remote bandwidth-constrained locations.
Tap and Speak Language cards
Each card contains an audio translation, optional text translation, and works across multiple languages. When the app is rotated to landscape mode, the written translation expands to fill the screen for improved visual accesibility.
Any organisation can rapidly create a deck of cards catered to their own specific use cases.
Quick card creation
When a field worker identifies a need for a specific translation, they can work with the translator to make a custom flashcard in three steps:
Type the phrase
Record the audio
Review and save
They will then have this translation saved for future reuse.