Translation Tasks

Between major projects and smaller projects there were even smaller tasks such as helping translate a page or so from English to Chinese. The reasons people needed things like this would vary quite a lot but often it would be to do with impressing clients or customers by showing more international influence. In industries like this in China, it seems that international connections are directly akin to value so they are used whenever possible.

In my work translating I often found myself rewriting very rough translations, from people in the lab or Google translator. I would often work with a Chinese student to help ensure that the meaning was coming across appropriately and it was not uncommon that we would find some concept that could not be communicated. At a time like that, I would research into the area at hand in an effort to find out what they were talking about. On a number of occasions I was told not to change things too much but in general the results were quite readable as far as I could tell.

Some of the projects that I worked on in this capacity include the Tire Pressure Gauge, the Automobile Air Cleaner, a Text Enlarging Device and Visa as well as other applications for schools and that sort of thing.

Wireless Tire Pressure Gauge

This project is a combination of custom tire valves and a central display unit that can warn of pressure loss in any of the tires. Our task was to give an existing system a face lift and make the central control system easier to interact with. We worked on this project for more then 3 months. It is now in production.

My role was consulting, which in this case meant branding and copy and just about nothing else. The project was underway before I joined Lab 318 and I only had a chance to become involved towards the end.

I thought this project was quite cool once I got involved and knew what was going on. The device worked by having a wireless valve cap on each wheel that would transmit pressure information back to the central unit on the dash of the user's car. It would indicate if there was a flat or if there were pressure differences between the tires.

In the copy that was written for this product, some statistics were stated that claimed that more than half of the serious automotive accidents today are made worse by inappropriate tire constitutions and that this device would substantially increase safety I do not know it this was true but if so it seems like a revolutionary product. At the time I had not seen anything like such a turn key solution.

Automotive Air Purifier

This project involved designing a small device that would filter the air within one's car and indicate its quality or health threat at any one time. Our task was to modernize the look and feel of the product and help integrate the new technologies better. The project was short term and the product is now in production.

My role was that of a consultant, although it ended up including concept development, presentation copy writing and branding for an international market.

Strange though it may seem, the awareness of Chinese people about air cleanliness is quite high and given the feature-oriented technology market, many products are sold that offer readings of air quality and breatheability. As it is a common product, I was asked to look at the way people lived and interacted with this sort of technology from a outside standpoint to offer pointers on design for the final product and product strategy. I was introduced to the project about 3 days before leaving Hangzhou for my summer travels and told that I should keep an eye on the way people did things in different parts of China and try to observe emergent habits involving small personal devices that could make our product more appropriate for the cramped marketplace. I did this; however, when I returned from my travels the project had already started, as a few of our full time staff had been working on the form for some time. They were then implementing the technology within and thinking about how best to market their new product. I was put on with a group of 2 or 3 other people to develop the copy and brand identity of the project.

The technology used in this project included carbon catalytic converters and ultraviolet light to ensure clean, oodour-free air.

This was an interesting but small task so it was out the door before anyone had a chance to get sick of it. A few weeks later, we presented it to prospective clients at the Canton Fare in south China as a representation of our work.

Weddings and Photos

In China, it seems that people are always getting married and subsequently always having wedding photographs taken. Unlike the western world, this is quite a lengthy ordeal and often extends well beyond the wedding day. The tradition is to create books and books of images of the couple in various situations and doing various things. The outfits can range from Indian traditional clothes, to pirate outfits to native American costumes to typical wedding clothing underwater with scuba gear over the top. The couple will spend a lot of time and money ensuring they have an appropriately eclectic set of albums.

In order to support such a strange industry, many places that would usually be professional photography stores often team up with costume stores that stock rent-able outfits designed specifically for this purpose. It should also be noted that almost all wedding dresses are rented, regardless of the price of the wedding. Also, the bride does not just rent one gown - she often wears up to 10 different gowns on her wedding day alone.

As well as the odd photographs, couples usually like to take photos in beautiful places with traditional wedding clothing (western style). So whenever one goes to a pretty place like West Lake, it is likely that a number of wedding parties will be spotted. Perhaps a few brides and grooms and a photo team. Interestingly, there is not a huge concern about shoes and the bride will often were sneakers under her dress. Also the weather seems not to affect their propensity to go on such photo making expeditions. They are there rain or shine.