The red light test đŠ
What crossing the street can teach you about localization
From the bottom of my heart mind
Fresh stories from a Spanish Copywriter.
When I first went to Austria, I remember standing at a red light.
No cars. No bikes. No one coming.
Just me, my friend and a group of locals⊠waiting.
After a few seconds, I crossed.
They stared. Someone even said something (I didnât know German yet, but I doubt it was ânice shoesâ).
In Spain, if no carâs coming, you cross. Itâs common sense.
In Austria, you wait⊠because rules are rules.
That tiny cultural difference says a lot.
In some countries, rules are flexible: they serve logic. In others, rules are sacred: they define order.
Neither is right or wrong. They just reflect how people see trust, authority, and what âmakes sense.â And this goes way beyond traffic lights.
When we localize, we face the same question every day:
Should we follow the global rule⊠or cross when it feels natural?
Because whatâs considered âgood UXâ or âclear copyâ depends on how people see rules.
In Spain, skipping steps feels normal â we trust ourselves to fix it later.
In Germany, clarity and precision matter more than speed.
In Japan, politeness shapes even the shortest CTA.
Localization is more than language: is about how people behave when no oneâs watching.
Outside the desk
Where the magic really happens.
đ I spent the weekend in Madrid â went to a stand-up show, browsed second-hand bookshops, and joined the big protest supporting Palestine.
đȘ My shoulder said âenoughâ last week, so I havenât been able to work out properly for a few days.
đŹ Which means I had more time for reading and TV. I started (and finished) the new Marvel show Marvel Zombies â and (surprisingly) liked it a lot.
Make it global, baby
If you want to work with me, this is the way.
đ Want to take your brand to the next Spanish level? Hit the âreplyâ bottom and letâs talk.
đŹ Want to appear in one of the next issues? Letâs see how we can work it out.
Thanks for reading todayâs newsletter. If you enjoyed the content, feel free to share it with your workmates, friends, family and pets so we can grow together.
You can also reply to this email and let me know what you think about it. We are in this together, compa.
All the best for the rest of your week,
đ Ricky from Textonality.com đ