One account opening journey, four languages
The Universal account opening journey was the first Assisted Banking journey at Emirates NBD to be translated into Arabic, and the first in the bank to be translated into Hindi and Urdu. I finalized the English, wrote the Arabic and led the Hindi and Urdu translation.
Overview
Universal account opening is an Assisted Banking journey for opening a new account. It was the first Assisted Banking journey at Emirates NBD to be translated into Arabic. It then became the first journey in the bank to be translated into Hindi and Urdu.
I finalized the English copy, wrote the Arabic version, and took ownership of the Hindi and Urdu translation.
Who it’s for
The journey is designed for a specific audience: customers with a total monthly income of AED 5,000 or less. For many of them, English isn’t their first language. The copy has to be short, plain and reassuring, and it has to be available in the languages they actually read.
My role
- Finalized the English copy for the full journey.
- Wrote the Arabic version from scratch, with no existing references to work from, since no Assisted Banking journey had been translated into Arabic before.
- Took ownership of the Hindi and Urdu translation, a first for the bank.
- Wrote the guidelines the translators worked from: writing style, tone, and which terms stay in English.
- Kept the translation on schedule and made sure every deadline was met.
The approach
English first, written for this audience
Every screen was finalized in English before any translation started, so all four languages work from the same approved copy. The English is short and plain, written for people who may be reading it in their second or third language.
Arabic with nothing to copy
With no earlier Assisted Banking journey in Arabic, there was no terminology or tone to borrow. I wrote the Arabic as Arabic, using the bank’s standard terms and the same plain, direct voice as the English.
Guidelines for Hindi and Urdu
Hindi and Urdu were new for the bank, so the translators needed a clear brief. I explained the writing style and tone the journey uses, and listed the terms that stay in English, such as product names and terms customers already know in English, so they’re consistent in every language.
The guidelines meant every translator started from the same voice, the same terms and the same rules.
Keeping it on time
With four languages moving at once, I tracked each translation against its deadline and made sure the journey was ready on schedule.
The work
Screens from the journey in English and Arabic.
Introducing the account
The first screen of the journey, explaining what the Liv Universal Account is and who it’s for.
Providing an Emirates ID
Step 2 of 5: the customer chooses how to share their Emirates ID, or says they don’t have one.
Choosing a work status
Step 3 of 5: three options, each with a short line of examples so customers can recognise themselves.
