memoQ is a “translation management system tailored to your needs”. In this video, you’ll see my first experience with the TMS. My goal was to translate a simple DOC and XLS. How did it go?
In this series, we look at the UX of all TMS tools in the localization industry. I’ve documented the whole journey with memoQ from the home page and signup, through creating a project and translating the documents, to finally downloading the translated files.
Andrej Zito
Hi my name is Andrej Zito Welcome to the new episode of UX reviews. In this series, I tried to cover all the TMS tools that we have in the localization industry, and I look at them from the user experience and design perspective. In this video, we’re going to look at my first experience with memoQ.
Andrej Zito
Our goal in every episode is quite straightforward. We are trying to translate a simple word document, and a simple spreadsheet. Now in case you’re here for the first time, these are the files that we are trying to translate. There is a great horror beneath the manor. Recently playing this game called Darkest Dungeon, so I copied the text from the wiki about this game. It’s a very short one. Here we have a title or something bold and italic. There are a couple of links here. And then we have a simple spreadsheet with the list of the DLCs for this game. Now how did I pick memoQ? Look you in a previous video, I explained to you the process, I basically roll a dice, which tells me which TMS I should review next.
Andrej Zito
Now is Friday, November 13. Oh gosh, Friday 13. 6:22pm here in Vancouver. So let me roll the dice again. Rolling 12345, stop. Stop. 14. Okay, 1-234-567-8910 1234, a memoQ. I at least went to their website. I think once or twice, I noticed it looks nice. I have never seen the UI before. So I’m super excited. Now before we get to the main part of the video, I want to make a disclaimer that everything I share here is just my personal opinion when it comes to style and design and user experience. I say a lot of things based on my own experience, what kind of software I prefer to use. And this video by no means has the intention to cover all the features of the PMS tools. And what are the tools are right for you or no mobile cue level cue memoQ? Let’s go. I know I was excited.
Andrej Zito
First of all, one of the things that I’ve noticed immediately and it’s a stupid thing is the cookie box message. I was recently looking at I think cloud words. And I think also AI lingo is also have this cookie consent thing. And boy have the the previous TMS tools didn’t have it very much in the style of the of the whole brand. Like the colors were different. It looked like the cookie bar is just put there just to be for the sake of being put there. Because it’s something that’s required. It’s mandatory, but nobody thought about how it should look like. So these guys seem to have it matching the style. So I’ll accept it. And for some reason I cannot accept it is going on. What is going on? Why can’t I accept it?
Andrej Zito
Oh, is it because the bot is why is the bot? Oh yeah, the boat was overlapping the except that’s where you’re okay, so a little bit of functionality. Anyway, when it comes to the My first impression, it looks very nice. I like the colors. So we have the nice, typical hero image carousel. The colors seem to be very evident. It’s like I don’t know, what is this dark purple, and orange. I think the colors were work well together, you can clearly see what is the call to action, get started, learn more. And then we have here get started, which is the same color as the local memoQ. search on the left side, maybe did something what I normally expect on the right side. Just my first thing, also the language selector, maybe just my experience, I usually see it on the right side sign into memoQ.
Andrej Zito
Also, that’s something that Most of the time usually you see on the right side right next to let’s say registration which would be your main call to action then next to it you have a sign in but I guess no big deal Yeah, the first impression is it definitely looks clean. So let me see what are the culvert what is the proposition the cluster management system tailored to your needs has arrived with a new enhanced features we’ll see about it ready to learn ebook library near also one of the things that if you remember when I was looking about localize that the graphic style is consistent this graphic style seems to be consistent as well. Which is a good thing. For some reason this thing didn’t mote try to reload.
Andrej Zito
Okay, another technical thing was in loading the image I have no idea live docs in mq certainty determine that off arranging perceived situation what? I don’t understand this English. And then we have some companies here are these companies. So get your seat? Is that an event? Get your seat leads to memoQ? What? What is going on? artists like the customers of memoQ, or is this people who are part of this event, which doesn’t lead to anywhere, I don’t get it anyway. It’s confusing. streamline your translation and localization processes with memoQ. For enterprises, again, we have this general thing we saw this with localize as well.
Andrej Zito
So these guys, instead of highlighting the benefits, they say, who McHugh is for, for enterprises, manage automated process, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you solution. Now check the buttons. Yep. They hover is consistent, so it turns into orange. So the gradient change to orange, very nice combination of colors. You can see also that the colors in the images are the same. So it looks very nice. brr brr brr. So for enterprises, the supposed to represent enterprise for language service providers are like the middle people, for translators. One translator, okay. Yeah, it looks nice. no objection here. The only thing that maybe puts me off a little bit is this line here. I’m not sure we have the line somewhere else. Here, we have a dotted line. Here, we just have the sections which are separated by different colors. So this thing kind of, it’s not the end of the world.
Andrej Zito
But I still don’t get it. I still don’t get if these companies here are using memoQ or if they are part of this thing, which doesn’t work. doesn’t load the image and the link leads to the homepage. That is weird. That is weird. That is weird. Anyway, here we have a dotted, dotted lines. Very good. Also, when it comes to the spacing, the negative space looks very good. A lot of negative space so you can clearly see what is together and what is not together. The images are centered. Very good. diverse in the streaming software and game localization view solution. Okay, so we do have a hover, it underlines it’s pretty good. This one is more important. button. Can Very nice. Very clean. No comments here. Do we have a big space here? joined a community of successful companies and professionals using them. Okay. Okay.
Andrej Zito
So what gameforge Oh, is it the same guy? Same guy. So Bower game Forge. Those are the guys here. purge power clerics fun stage to lay your eggs once there’s one stage. So I don’t know. So this is the typical testimonial think what causation expert lecture? I don’t know. So normally at least from what I read, it’s better if you have actual people show the people who said these things instead of localization expert at Bauer, because we have no idea who that is. And having people faces brings more personality to the page that actually people said it. So that’s the only thing that I would mention here. It seems that went it’s actually Yeah, okay. I was just thinking in the whole section with the testimonials is vertically aligned to the center or not, but no, it’s on the top.
Andrej Zito
So that is good, because the text quote, which is the most important thing is always on top thing, maybe I have it centered out, which may not be the best solution. Read more success stories. Okay, thank you, guys for your business today with Nemo que, get started contact sales. Okay, so here we have a new type of button, which is a secondary button. So this style is still consistent, very nice. Contact sales. You can see that the contrast is worse than this one of course, as expected, as it should be. Sorry, that’s what I wanted to say. But you can still see it button. I don’t know it looks very nice. Ladies at memoQ. e books. So okay, so when you hover the sound a blur, I think I also have this slick a gradient is a gradient. It like the dark, the darkness goes away. It looks good. Even the the text on the images on the thumbnails is still readable. So that’s good. More from the block.
Andrej Zito
Okay, again, even these things like this looks very nice. It still keeps the same brand colors. Pretty good. Read more in a block. Here. We have what here we have the footer. Not much here. Links seem to be working fine. Bla bla bla bla bla bla. Yeah. Perfect. Visually, the homepage looks very good. The only things that I don’t understand is the technical things. So the overlapping chat on accepting the cookies and this thing is not working. And this link doesn’t lead to me getting a seat it just leads to the homepage again. So that’s that about the homepage. Let’s try to see what happens when we get started. Oh, no. I can’t help you. On the memoQ CAT tool train or get chosen option. What more do you want from me?
Andrej Zito
How can I help you today? Download the latest memoQ version. Wait, I need to download memoQ? isn’t memoQ run in cloud? What? Wait, are you serious? memoQCloud what is the zone for ladies release metal q 9.5. This reading I’m looking at was reserved for what to expect. Download versus buy 20 the license select currencies 620. Oh sheets. If you have a trial namaki license, enter. Oh, there we go. subscription memoQ cloud About five minutes please I still don’t get it Okay, so I find if I want to get started Why did it suggest to me that I get a downloaded version? I don’t get it. Production people out okay I already have it open out there start your free trial thing God coway products don’t just session management in the cloud Whoa, this is this is a huge exploitation 160 start my free trial give me give me how to start your memoQ cloud trial. Survey of M cocoon is simple you have two options for beginning start on your own. Yes. Certainly video pew.com on the top left of the page page will have permission.
Andrej Zito
Okay, we’re not in the business of doing videos right so we can figure it out on our own. Because actually the purpose of this video is start your free trial to do you need at least one the monkey project manager license for your memoQ club club subscription. Okay, I have to put in one translator at all it’s a I don’t need that. Okay, here we have continue pressed on chargement naming a cloud server. Okay, good select region. Your cloud server can be deployed or AWS to Canada Hello Canada. Continue to start a molecule called trolloc create your mimikyu account first you need to manage your licenses blah blah blah. Email Address wants to do live password let’s try weak passwords. I accept Do I have to allow them I guess I have to do otherwise I can continue continue Okay, Create Account change check your mailbox let’s check up the mailbox or we go activate your memoQ account. Put an image out there it is dear life Andrej Zito please click here. Done.
Andrej Zito
Okay, login. Oh so it accepted the weak password. I don’t know when most of these cloud things accept weak passwords but I don’t know. Bora account details. So first of all here I don’t know why what the fuck is going on. But I just see this form for the first time and it’s already highlighted as in red. So to me this looks like if I get a new form and I don’t feel anything, can I submit the form then I get the things that are wrong with the form highlighted in red. But here it’s already highlighted. I have no idea why. I also don’t understand why. For my new company name and phone is grayish and it looks like either different forms or bolt ons all caps and country is like a standard black lowercase I don’t get it. This is weird. Full name. There is a company his country Canada. Key nope not Cambodia, Canada Phone.
Andrej Zito
Why do people ask me about phone? Eight, eight. company? Dada. Please don’t tell me it’s loading the credit card information. Make it? Yes, there’s the system, initializing cloud server. Manage your subscription. your subscription is a free trial in one month, even if you let your trucks burn will preserve your server for 30 days nice. initializing cloud server. Am I supposed to wait from when? Okay, but this doesn’t look like the place where you actually manage projects. I just see licencees monkey cloud invoices. It looks like management of the think. So maybe that’s why we still have to wait for the cloud server to be initialized. And six religion. No, no. No, no, no, no, no, no.
Andrej Zito
My first impression from inside of the system is it still keeps the course from the homepage. And I think typically this background color for UI is not the traditional which I like. Typically you have it white or some great thing for the UI. And maybe normally you will have the colors at least on the left side. But these guys are doing it the other way. And I think I like it I’m wondering how it looks like for the project managers the interface now this one The main thing does stand out a lot from the purple background. So that’s good. But I’m just trying to get used to is the menu on the left side because it’s white as well as the main content is white. So maybe just to suppress the navigation I would maybe make it less what is going on Manage server Andrej Zito running? Where I’m actually controlling a server? Yeah, not purchased web. Okay. What is this think? monkey? What is this? Is it a matter instance? user name What is my user name? I’m confused.
Andrej Zito
Getting my suit like this at the start. Manage your subscription. I have a translator. I have a pm. What is memoQ up each memoQ project manager license comes with five additional three memoQ web licenses, your translators can use those to access your cloud server. Okay. Oh, is this like a license for the offline editor? guide Do I need to use guide I don’t want to use guide server address. How can we make better for you? I don’t understand. I don’t understand. This one does this activate. Okay, so the server is running sign with the mimaki server accounts. What is my username? Should I have licenses for a project manager? translator but what are where are those accounts created? I am whilst I am lost.
Andrej Zito
Weird. Wait let me just try at least email, I don’t think it would work nope doesn’t work I don’t get I don’t get it what is going on before I go to the guide- Am I stupid or what is going on? in the voices I don’t want any voices I don’t want to refer anyone what is going on credits activation I don’t have any product to activate oh there’s an old version maybe I should try the old version What the fuck is this? already have a mimic Of course you can manage your licenses here in memoQ Oh boy. servers running but I cannot Where do I define the user’s adolescence adolescence wait maybe this is the problem here it says I have a license but under licenses It doesn’t say anything should grow I am subscribed. I do have the licenses What the fuck forgot your password I don’t even have a user name What the hell okay let’s use the guide where introduction to I don’t want to video sign up for account after all saying clout it’s sorry licenses licenses I did that
Andrej Zito
I did this part. Wait a few minutes then manage server appears. Yeah, I have that. Oh on the right in the setting session click the Change effing password. Oh, okay. Okay. So I do have to do that. Oh call for this one. We do need a strong one minimum 12 characters. Here let me try. Password. Okay, have a password. See, this is a little bit where I got stuck. Because if it’s such an important thing for you to even start doing something I think they should be highlighted. Okay, so not I did that. Can I log in? Looks like it’s working. True maple. That’s the Canadian server. Come on over. Come on over.
Andrej Zito
Oh, it’s working. Help us make mimikyu better. Help product designers and developers improve no McHugh bye by automatically sending us a video on how use approximates features. Sure. Okay, Help us make them blah, blah, blah, skip details. Because it’s used to send us blah, blah. Okay. So this is finally our UI. You remember what I was saying here that this is a little bit molt pretend to have this as a background. So I guess for the PMS, we’re back to the standard, grayish background, which is still neutral. Everything’s white, the navigation is white, then we have great thing. And I assume that if I create something, it will be whitish, white on the grayish background, which definitely doesn’t make these things stand out. So I think the white and orange is a good contrast in color.
Andrej Zito
I would just like maybe to have a little bit more of the purple, which is the memoQ Cairo. Okay, so we are here. Anything else I want to point out about the UI? I think no. Help profile? That’s fine. We just have notifications. Normally, I think I mean, not normally what is normal? I’m used to having the profile on the top right. But I think JIRA has this thing. On this on the left side bar at the bottom, as well. So yeah, projects, requests, files, discussions, resources, web translation, admin. Yeah, the menu looks nice. Powers look fine. The icons look fine. So let’s create a new project. Okay, project type. Hmm. So here we have our first form to create a project.
Andrej Zito
One of the things that I don’t understand is, why is there such a huge space? as you can, hopefully, clearly see, like this thing here. I don’t know why. I don’t know. Because look what it looks like the the input form is right aligned to the page. And the labels and the text, which describes it is left aligned. Feel like allegedly split the page into two columns. But it’s really weird. I mean, it’s not that weird. But it is weird when it comes to this piece. I don’t know why it’s not closer. Like Normally, I would imagine to be like number one. Then you have the project type. Blah, blah, blah, then you have the text, blah, blah, blah, and then you have this under. And maybe if it was centered out, then it would look more standard and also more usable. Because right now it’s like I need to look here and then I need to look to the right side.
Andrej Zito
So my inclination right now is just to look on the right side and figure it out on my own. So online project from template, I don’t think we have a template. So it just all my project project name. Dark is dungeon. dungeon source language, English. Oh, oh, this is a new thing. I haven’t seen this anywhere. That when you type it highlights or makes the text that you search for volte. I think it’s super good at seeing anywhere. Okay, let’s do our three languages. Check. Japanese and actually, you can see right here, that’s the thing that I was led to habits. Or you don’t Okay, let me remove it. I think they have what I was saying before. Yeah.
Andrej Zito
If you remember all the previous I think in memsource and localized we had the option to pick check. Like check check, and Czech Czech Republic. And I was always wondering why we need to have those options if Czech is only spoken in Czech Republic. So these guys, they say that you Just need to know it’s checking. And there’s only one Japanese in Japan. And for German, we do have different countries. I like it. Yeah, this is this is very, very nice. I mean, the field input. So far, it seems that but one thing that I’ve just noticed is you can see that when I’m in the field to enter the project name, the border of the field is not highlighted. When I go to source language, it is highlighted.
Andrej Zito
Normally the target languages it is highlighted. So I don’t know why they pressed it for a project name. And I don’t think it’s even the the default chrome one, because if I’m not mistaken, Chrome recently changed to highlighting the active fields with black, which looked very weird to me. But anyway, but this thing is like, super good. The target language is selection. I love it. projects, and Id or name of projects I already gave you. So I don’t know. Let’s see, I’ll leave it empty. If it’s mandatory for No, because right now there’s no indication of what field is mandatory. I cannot see it from this.
Andrej Zito
Also, I think I kind of liked that they made the, the labels for the fields, slightly less contrasting. So the emphasis in is on text that you put in, I like it. Project Name, we don’t do client we don’t need domain blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Okay, what is this workflow, choose settings for tracking changes and online packages project workflow? This, I don’t know what it means. tracking changes. Okay, I guess we don’t need to track changes and go into the detail features of mo q because we haven’t done it for the Edit tools as well. Package creation doesn’t mean that translators and reviewers cannot create packages. simultaneous translation and review. Oh, does that actually happen?
Andrej Zito
Why would you review at the same time as you’re translating, I don’t know. resources to settings for TMS turn basis and lightbox create offline copies of TMS shikar disabled documents. Okay, I’ll just leave it as it is Create Project. Okay, now, there was nice. It was too fast for me, but it looked nice. It didn’t look like the typical Status Notification that you just get like once something’s completed, but it seemed like it was doing something then you get the checkmark and now we are here in our project. predict is not launched. Okay. No documents at its import or just drag. Okay. Now, where are we? production? TMS UX? This is I created the DLC for more colors. I can get rid of it. So we have our two documents. Okay, drop fast import goods uploading file. Okay. So, files.
Andrej Zito
Okay. First impression from this is it looks very nice. I like the table view. I don’t know why the pack here is in blue. It looks like button. Okay. group by it’s a selection, right? Okay. I guess. I don’t know if you think about it. Like, it looks very similar to this one. Was this work? What am I doing? Yeah, the style of this one looks almost the same as this one. Notice text, and it’s surrounded button. So that’s why I was a little bit confused.
Andrej Zito
Because this is technically not clickable. It just shows that it’s something that you already highlighted. So maybe that’s what I would change here. So okay, so you can group the files by file type pad. No group pink. cranking why this okay when I change between file type and path you can see that the headers stay in the same position but when I switched to no grouping Why does it jump? I don’t like jumping pecs is the same as anything else Edit No The table is the same there is more space here but I don’t know why it’s jumping up and down I don’t know that’s weird. Name Darkest Dungeon you’ll see it looks like they have their own icons based on the file type super super good I like that sure errors and warnings only Import Options I don’t care so let’s just import right wait what happens?
Andrej Zito
Oh, okay I get it I should have selected the files idiot ah well that’s actually quite important, right? Because if you have import all Why did it not import the things that are here because the Next button that you have here is import selected and now this status modification or whatever it is. stays here isn’t disappear automatically. I got one so not I select them I can important selected but import all should work on. re import. So did it add the files or no?
Andrej Zito
Oh, it did. It did. Wait, what? What happened before? Is it that it was still processing the files? I just had to refresh? I don’t know. It’s weird. Is it still stuck there? No, it’s not stuck there. Okay. So let’s imagine that the files were imported successfully. And we this is what we see immediately. So what we see here still see here dark is dungeon launched English into three target languages. Good. I can manage the project. I don’t want to click yet. What is the overview? Okay, this is like a dashboard. Progress based on the role. So I guess it’s the workflow that we defined somewhere document not started in progress finished at lameness. Who did landless people one person. That’s me. translators, search documents for search about actually do need to press enter to to apply the filter so it doesn’t filter out as I type.
Andrej Zito
All target languages that looks good show all documents. can see the ones that missed that line. I still don’t know. We didn’t put the deadline anywhere. Oh, there is deadline deadline for the translations that my further review one review to okay. Before I click, I don’t know where I’m going to set the dates. But before I click let’s look at this one. It looks very neutral. Like you can see that the only comical thing is the is the main CTA which I took like, not gonna say no. And the table style looks clean. I think these are things that you don’t need that much. So that’s why it’s okay. If they’re grayish. You don’t need to bring much attention to it. I think so. Yeah, it looks pretty, pretty nice and clean. translations, okay. People, people, no users enter check. Is this going to be a problem for me to test the translation services for your translation memories.
Andrej Zito
No translation memories added yet. settings. That’s this thing options. That’s too much information. Let’s try to click To launch and see what happens. Launch and then immediate changes to wrap up. doesn’t cause the project. What? Yeah, it means it’s closed. Fuck. Okay, now it is launched autopilot of what is autopilot? Do today Why is it due today? Here we have some workouts download wrap up more possibilities okay so how do you set a deadline? I cannot click here. I can add a translator. I can add myself version 1.1 says number of the words probably status or users assign rights. Okay document is completed Can I change somewhere the workflow source and target languages history files no worries it’s not general options machine translation plugins please can give me Where do you set the workflows?
Andrej Zito
Maybe it’s an admin somewhere in the US Oh, okay. When I select f sub options, sport I don’t want to export. Oh, nice you can explore this things. Advance advanced sign it’s too complicated for our video. Can I assign everything to one person? Here’s a way to work counts. Share changes. Deadline Oh, okay, we set a deadline deadline and a woman back by Monday. Time. Consider my timezone change assignments. I have to change it for everyone. Okay, maybe I don’t figure it out. Okay. Translation is assigned to me. Translation not started. transition in progress. I’m really wondering how I can remove the the workflow or did they maybe mess up the project creation when I was creating it? track change? No, it just struck changes. Where do you set up the workflow so that I can remove the stages?
Andrej Zito
Quick to change this. So maybe the problem of this test Oh no, it’s just launched that I’m doing this as one person doesn’t matter that much. Oh, I clicked okay. So what am I going to? Oh, yeah, the WordPress section that have popped up there. Oh, I see. So loading the document. And Garen, what? Oh, okay. Now you can see what I’m talking about consistency. So far, we’ve seen the consistency pretty much everywhere. But the editor definitely looks different. What does it say Hungarian? Oh cool. The kill the memoQ or s it was known before as killed gray. Was the Hungarian one actually have Hungarian content Hungarian while you do this voice? Where the hell is the machine translation thing helped me? Doesn’t mean I cannot use it in the web app probably.
Andrej Zito
So this is where definitely memsource has advantage and their editor looks much better. Okay, I’ll just do it manually. Now that everything’s safe. I have saved everything. Confirm now. How do I send it to the next stage or something? Final? is probably not it. Ready? deliver? Oh my God, this. This. This action is so small. Sure, so far you can choose and deliberate on delivering. Okay, I’m delivering I delivered any reflect? Whoo. We have a green one. document is completed. Oh, wherever you want not start it. Okay, good. Trust 100%. Good. So maybe just by not assigning it to the reviewer, it skips those steps that already change that 5% only. Oh, it costs probably the review stage as well. All right. So that’s that’s how the translation process look like. I’ll go eat my dinner right now. And then I’ll then I’ll do the the other languages.
Andrej Zito
And then we just see each other again once I’m ready to download everything. So bye bye. Okay. causing this thing. Now the status is that we should have everything translated. 100% good. Does it show up here? Yep, it does. Finished six still shows up the reviewers. I don’t know how to remove those things. But here once I finished the translation, it automatically jump into document is completed. So now let’s just go to the final thing, which is to get the translated files. I don’t know if I’m supposed to wrap up the things. Document available for expert expert projects. What does expert project mean?
Andrej Zito
This is what export the files it is. Is it a bilingual or not bilingual? It’s not a bilingual. Okay, so exporting actually means to get the translated files. I think there was a somewhere option two letters expert. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Okay. So they call it export. So, okay. So where am I? Right here? translate it? downloads Darkest Dungeon translated. He didn’t put it into the language folders. Shifting would be my preference. This is my experience. Whatever. Let’s just look at German. I translated it very well. help them find Yeah, it looks good. DLC German data. And this was good. This one for I don’t know for what what reason Maybe it’s because it’s currency. That’s why didn’t export probably makes sense. But I think it was exported. I mean, extracted export. I think most parts by the other TMS is before I’m not mistaken. So that looks good. Now finally, let’s see what this the wrap up.
Andrej Zito
After wrapping up a project, you can no longer work on it or make changes to its wrap up. Project wrapped up, wrapped up. It’s great projects project is wrapped up. Okay. So I can no longer work on anything quite sure, I can still open things up, I can still open things. So why did we say I cannot do anything. So that’s it. I think we got our stuff translated. I think this one went a bit faster, then localize the homepage looks pretty good. The interface for project managers I think looks pretty good. The only thing that really bothers me, it’s the editor. But I’m not sure how many people are using the editor. It looks like the web editor was a thing of the past hasn’t been up, dated, and upgraded the latest branding because the controls look very old fashioned. The design is all over the place. And it’s said as a Hungarian language. So that’s all I have to say. And that’s it for this video with memoQ if you like this video, give it a thumbs up. If you like the series and you want to see my experience with the other TMS tools. Please do subscribe. And that’s it. Thank you again for watching. Thank you for your time and see you in the next one. Bye bye
