Telenav - Arabic in-car navigation for Gulf drivers
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Telenav’s localization design expert for the Middle East.
Telenav
Scope of work, July 2017
About the project
Telenav builds the navigation inside GM cars. Its Arabic version was already on the road in the Gulf, but parts of it still read left to right and many labels were translated word for word. From 2015 to 2017 we rebuilt it right to left, tested it with drivers in Dubai, and joined a carmaker meeting as Telenav’s Middle East localization expert.
Project
Telenav Denali & ARP
Industry
Automotive Navigation
Location
Dubai, UAE
Date
2015–2017
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Client Request
Telenav asked for a complete Arabic version of its built-in navigation: every screen rebuilt right to left with the correct Arabic type, new category icons, and written rules engineers could build from.
Telenav
Scope of work, 2015
Design Pillars
Core UX Principles
Text, back and close buttons, lists, scroll bars and turn arrows all mirrored for Arabic.
Words chosen by meaning instead of word for word, one style of digits per screen, and a typeface sized for Arabic.
Every decision aimed to cut the time a driver spends reading the screen.
User Discussions & Insights
Pain points from testing in Dubai
Wrong Reading Direction
Parts of the Arabic build still ran left to right, which made the route hard to follow. We rated it the most serious issue.
Literal Translations
Some labels were translated word for word instead of by meaning, and a few were still in English.
Mixed Numbers
Arabic and Hindi digits appeared side by side. Drivers needed one style used everywhere.
The Challenge
Problem Statement
The Main Goal: Make It Feel Native
The navigation was already live, and Telenav’s own 2014 tests in California showed drivers liked the English version. The Arabic version had to match that ease, but the reading direction changes where the eye lands first, what “back” means and which way an arrow should point.
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Our recommendation is to redesign the entire infotainment system with the accurate direction (right to left).
Maher Jilani
Co-Founder & UX Director, Plexable
Our Approach
Solution
A Complete Arabic Navigation System
24+ screens per system rebuilt right to left, with text-behavior rules, a UI spec and new category icons. It is an example of our Arabic and RTL Product Design work.
01 - RTL Research
A study of mirroring, Arabic type, word length, digits, address order and local road signs, plus a review of the region’s biggest Arabic apps.
02 - Testing on Dubai Roads
Two UX experts reviewed the Arabic system and tested it with drivers in Dubai. The report listed 23 issues, 4 of them high severity, each with a fix.
03 - Benchmarking a Rival
In 2017 we drove a competing in-car system around Dubai with four Arabic-speaking drivers, then showed how Telenav’s design solved its biggest problems.
Before & After
The Blueprint & Evolution
Mirroring Logic
We set the flip rules once and applied them to every screen.
Layout: text, lists and numbers read from the right, with scroll bars on the right side.
Controls: back and close swapped places, and arrows that point a direction were redrawn.
Design
Key Features
Arabic Search and Suggestions
Search, auto-suggest and the Arabic keyboard were designed together, so drivers find a place in a few taps.
Guidance That Reads Right to Left
Turn cards, lane guidance, junction views and the instrument cluster, all laid out for Arabic.
Design System
Visual Identity
Typography
Noto Naskh Arabic, chosen because it is widely used on web and mobile apps in the region and sits well beside Roboto, the system’s Latin font.
Color Palette
Telenav’s palette kept as is, so the Arabic version reads as the same product.
UI Logic
Written text-behavior rules for engineers: how Arabic wraps, shortens and sits next to numbers in each component.
Impact
From Research to Product
Results for Telenav
The research and design went into the product, which relaunched in GM cars across the Middle East from model year 2018.
Chevrolet
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GMC
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Cadillac
Result
By the Numbers
8 Scopes of Work
Two years of work, from the first Arabic study in 2015 to the rival benchmark in 2017.
2 Systems Made Arabic
Denali and ARP, both rebuilt right to left with rules engineers could build from.
23 Issues, Each With a Fix
Found while testing with drivers in Dubai, 4 of them high severity.
Research
The Dubai Report
Every Issue, With a Fix
We wrote up the Dubai testing in a 49-page report: what drivers liked, what slowed them down, and a fix for each of the 23 issues, from reading direction and translation to digits and icons.
Final Showcase
The Arabic Navigation Experience
