How to create an effective brief for your translation partner

When you’re dealing with the translation of IFUs, regulatory documentation, or digital interfaces, the quality of the outcome hinges on one thing: the quality of your brief. Yet, many organisations, particularly those entering the world of medical translation, overlook the importance of a comprehensive brief. 

A strong brief does more than just keep your project moving; it ensures precision, regulatory alignment, and timely delivery, especially for multilingual or high-stakes content. 

Here’s how to set your translation provider, and your project, on the right track from day one. 

1. Start with context: what’s the content and why does it matter? 

A translation agency needs more than text, they need background. Understanding the « why » and the « who » behind your content ensures more appropriate language choices and improved relevance. 

Include the following information: 

• Document type (e.g., instructions for use, clinical trial documents, promotional materials, informed consent forms) 

• Target audience (patients, doctors, caregivers, regulatory agencies) 

• Environment of use (hospital, home, mobile app, print media) 

• Required tone and style (e.g., technical, informative, friendly, compassionate) 

Example: The tone used in an IFU for pediatric insulin pumps will be completely different from that of an orthopedic surgery guide intended for medical professionals. 

2. Confirm source file readiness and version accuracy 

Never assume your translation team knows which file to use. If the version isn’t clearly defined, errors or outdated content can end up being translated. 

Be sure to specify: 

• File version number or last modified date 

• Confirmation that the document is finalised and approved for translation 

• Any relevant prior translation history or reference files 

Reminder: Refrain from sending preliminary drafts or editable content still in review. Internal approval should always precede translation. 

3. List target languages and be specific about regional variants 

Saying “Spanish” or “French” isn’t enough. Precision is key, as regional language differences can affect compliance, comprehension, and overall usability. 

Define clearly: 

• Spanish (Spain) vs. Spanish (Latin America) 

• French (France) vs. French (Belgium or Canada) 

• Portuguese (Portugal) vs. Portuguese (Brazil) 

Tip: For regulatory submissions or packaging in Europe, specific country variants may be required by local authorities. Missteps here can lead to regulatory issues or costly corrections later. 

Pro insight: A dependable translation company will ask you to verify language locales before kicking off the translation. If they don’t, that’s a sign to pause. 

Best practice: Whenever possible, ask for in-country linguists, native speakers who live and work in your target market. This improves not just linguistic quality but also cultural fit and user acceptance. 

4. Share terminology, glossaries, and reference assets 

The more background you give, the better the result. Providing previous materials and preferred terminology helps your translators maintain brand consistency and technical accuracy. 

Useful resources include: 

• Existing approved translations 

• Style guides or tone-of-voice documentation 

• Regulatory glossaries 

• Product documentation and technical specs 

• UI screenshots, product imagery, or wireframes 

• Video demos or explainer walkthroughs 

Extra tip: Supply a list of non-translatable items (e.g., product codes, brand names, internal abbreviations) to avoid misinterpretation. 

5. Don’t overlook formatting or file type requirements 

For packaging, printed IFUs, or multilingual brochures, the layout matters just as much as the text. Formatting constraints should be communicated from the start. 

Let your provider know: 

• Do you require editable source files or print-ready PDFs? 

• Should layout adhere to a regulatory or design template? 

• Will the final files be reintegrated into structured formats (e.g., HTML, XML, JSON)? 

🧩 Tip: If your project has strict layout limits or specific file types, flag this early so your provider can allocate time and technical resources accordingly. Also, ensure that the final proofreading or quality check is performed only after all DTP work has been completed, so you can be certain that the translation has not been altered or affected by layout adjustments. 

6. Build in in-context review for software and digital products 

When translating software interfaces, mobile apps, or web content, what looks right in a spreadsheet may not work in the product UI. 

Here’s why it matters: 

• Text expansion in some languages (like German or Finnish) can cause visual breakage 

• Right-to-left scripts like Arabic or Hebrew require interface mirroring 

• Limited character space can truncate translated strings 

Best practices: 

• Plan for in-context or in-app review after translation 

• If space is limited, request character-constrained translations 

• Account for potential text expansion during development to reduce UI adjustments 

Helpful note: Let your translation partner know upfront if UX constraints or design limits exist. This allows linguists to adapt their approach appropriately. 

7. Define the review and approval process clearly 

If multiple reviewers are involved, such as affiliates, medical experts, or country managers, it’s vital to map out responsibilities, timelines, and expectations from the start. 

Include: 

• Names and roles of reviewers 

• Which language(s) each person is responsible for 

• Timeframes for internal review 

• Whether back-translation, validation, or additional QA steps are required 

Smart approach: Ask whether your translation partner can help manage in-market reviews or provide bilingual files to speed up validation. 

Efficiency boost: The best providers work with collaborative translation platforms (TMS) that allow clients to comment directly in the translation environment. This accelerates feedback loops and ensures consistency across large-scale projects. 

8. Be transparent about timelines and delivery expectations 

Realistic deadlines help your translation team assign appropriate resources, avoid errors, and reduce the need for costly rush services. 

Clarify: 

• Your preferred delivery date(s) 

• Whether partial delivery is acceptable (e.g., French first, then German and Italian) 

• If the translation is tied to a product launch, filing, or marketing campaign 

Tip: For large-scale or multi-language projects, consider requesting a pilot translation or rolling release to test workflow and ensure early quality alignment. 

9. Specify if AI-assisted translation is acceptable and under what conditions 

Machine translation (MT) and AI-powered tools are increasingly common, but not every type of content is suitable. Defining your expectations ensures appropriate quality control from the beginning. 

If considering AI-assisted translation: 

• Communicate this upfront so proper tools and human review steps can be implemented 

• Run a short pilot project to evaluate output quality 

• Ensure professional post-editing is included to meet regulatory and stylistic standards 

Transparency tip: Your provider should always disclose if AI or MT is used and involve you in choosing the appropriate workflow. 

Balanced strategy: For some content types, like internal documentation or low-risk training materials, AI-assisted translation can offer time and cost savings. For high-risk or regulated content, prioritise AI-translation followed by two rounds of expert review or human-led translation with expert review, as both comply with ISO translation quality standards. 

Security note: Make sure your provider uses secure, confidential AI tools that don’t reuse your content for training. Data protection is critical, especially for GDPR or HIPAA-sensitive material. 

Pre-translation checklist for internal teams 

Before launching your translation project, make sure you’ve gathered: 

✅ Finalised and approved source files 
✅ Clearly defined target languages (with locales) 
✅ Intended use and audience 
✅ Internal glossaries and reference files 
✅ Layout or formatting requirements 
✅ In-context review plan (if relevant) 
✅ Reviewer list and validation workflow 
✅ Delivery schedule and project priority 
✅ Translation method preferences (human, AI, or hybrid) 

Why it matters even more in regulated industries 

In pharma, medical devices, and life sciences, translation is a critical step in your compliance strategy, not an optional add-on. 

A vague or incomplete brief can lead to inaccurate instructions, additional costs, labeling errors, delayed approvals, or violations of MDR, IVDR, or FDA regulations. 

At Novalins, we support clients with pre-project planning, customisable brief templates, and expert translators who understand the intersection of language and regulation. 

Need support for your next project? 
We’d be happy to walk you through our briefing process or share a sample template to get you started, especially helpful if you’re navigating multilingual submissions or complex product launches.