Case studies New_ Public
UX writing and localization for healthier public conversation spaces
Expanding language support for prototype civic-discussion spaces built with four public-service media organizations, while keeping UX strings high quality for diverse audiences.
Context
The Public Spaces Incubator is an international partnership between New_ Public and four public-service media organizations. Together they develop prototypes for digital conversation spaces that offer a healthy forum for connection and increase engagement in civic discourse.
I joined to expand language support while keeping UX strings clear, consistent, and appropriate across audiences and cultures.
The work
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AI moderation language: "Check your response"
I wrote the language that appears when AI moderation flags a comment before it posts, so people are nudged toward constructive discussion without feeling punished. The message explains that the response may not fit the community guidelines, suggests rewording it to explain disagreements constructively and express ideas with civility, and confirms it was sent to a moderator. (Shown at the top of this page.)
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Translation and localization plan options
I compared translation platforms and processes and laid out two options the partners could choose from based on budget, languages, and review capacity: adopt a translations platform for internal and external review (with machine translation, crowdsourcing, and visual review), or create a manual working demo process for partners and translators.
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UX writing options for discussion reactions
I proposed new reaction labels with custom emoji, such as “Relatable,” “Helpful,” “Controversial,” and “Interesting,” to replace “Thank you,” “New to me,” “Respect,” and “Disagree,” so reactions reward good-faith participation instead of plain agreement.
