A joint online event between Lingoport and Vistatec brought together three voices with deep experience across software localization, Figma, and localization engineering: Adam Asnes, CEO and Founder of Lingoport; Simon Hodgkins, CMO at Vistatec; and Etienne Kröger, Consultant and Solutions Architect & Linguistic Engineer. The discussion focused on a question many product organizations wrestle with: how do you deliver global-ready software faster, with fewer defects, and without burning out the teams responsible for quality?
The panel’s answer was clear. The biggest gains come from moving localization decisions earlier in the product lifecycle, and from using modern tooling to make that shift operational, measurable, and repeatable.
Why “Shift Left” Matters in Localization
Adam Asnes set the stage by reframing “shift left” in plain terms: it means addressing localization and internationalization earlier, specifically in requirements and design, not after development is largely complete.
Traditionally, localization often begins late, sometimes when files are handed off after build, or worse, near deployment when release pressure is highest. At that point, defects and inconsistencies are expensive to fix. Developers have moved on, priorities have shifted, and localization issues can stall launches or end up deprioritized and left unresolved.
Shifting left changes the economics and the team dynamics:
- Issues are found when they are cheapest to fix
- UIs are designed to accommodate real-world language expansion
- Localization becomes a visible part of product development, not an afterthought
- Release quality improves, and timelines become more predictable
Adam also made a business point that localization teams often have to defend: localization is not a “cost center” in the strategic sense. It is a revenue enabler. Companies localize because global markets drive growth, so localization should have a seat at the table from the start.
The “Basic Math” of Scaling Across Locales
Etienne Kröger brought a pragmatic lens to the discussion, emphasizing that many organizations underestimate the compounding complexity of adding languages.
Etienne argued that organizations can save time, reduce friction, and avoid high costs by identifying what can be solved once across locales rather than repeatedly, and then letting local experts focus on what truly requires local knowledge, such as market nuances, tone, and cultural expectations.
From Figma to Development: Localization That Starts in Design
A major portion of the webinar explored how localization workflows can begin in design tools, especially Figma, which Adam noted dominates the design stage.
He emphasized that what Lingoport is enabling is not “just another translation plugin.” The goal is to support workflows that actually scale, and to help designers make decisions with real localization constraints in view.
One practical example: rather than relying solely on pseudo-localization, designers can see worst-case string expansion using real translations and identify UI breakpoints before development begins. The “longest string” approach helps teams design for reality, not averages, and avoids forcing translators later to contort language to fit bad UI constraints.
Adam also highlighted the role of visual context in translation quality, both for humans and for AI. When translators or language models can see where a string lives in the interface and how it is used, output quality improves, and reviews become more targeted.
Compression of The Localization Timeline: “Figma to Dev”
One of the most concrete workflow changes described was Lingoport’s ability to push localized content beyond design into development, while keeping source control and engineering workflows central.
Instead of treating design-stage translation as disposable, the workflow described connects design and repositories so that:
- Localization work can precede development in meaningful ways
- Resource files can be generated and inserted into repositories
- Developers can implement keys with localized resources already available
- “Completeness” is measurable based on what is in the repo, which is what developers ship
Adam described this as a way to prevent localization from constantly trailing development. The result is a tighter cycle, fewer late surprises, and a more continuous system for handling last-minute changes that bypass design.
VistatecVerifier: AI-Assisted QA That Flags Risk, Notifies Review
Simon Hodgkins introduced VistatecVerifier, positioning it as a practical QA layer for modern workflows where translations may come from machine translation, LLMs, humans, or a hybrid.
Verifier’s value proposition is straightforward: it performs additional AI-driven linguistic QA checks and surfaces potential issues for action. Simon was explicit about an important operational detail: Verifier does not automatically fix translations. It flags the possibility of an issue so teams can choose the right next step.
Checks described in the session included:
- Spelling
- Profanity
- Language accuracy and interpretation
- Modality issues and other discrepancies
From there, teams can route items into automated remediation or human review, depending on risk level and governance requirements. Simon emphasized that this matters most in high-risk contexts, where compliance and accuracy are non-negotiable and where purely automated output may be unacceptable.
This slot naturally fits into a shift-left model: issues get flagged early, reviewed with intent, and sent back through the workflow before they become expensive release blockers.
Does Shift-Left Erode Role Boundaries?
A recurring question from attendees centered on role clarity, specifically whether shift-left workflows push localization responsibility onto designers or create “gatekeeping” tension.
The panel’s response was consistent: this is not about turning designers into localization managers. It is about preventing rework and enabling faster iteration with better information.
Adam framed it as a scaling problem. Localization teams are often understaffed relative to the scope they cover. Any approach that “duplicates” some capabilities across the organization, in the sense of enabling designers and developers to see localization impact earlier, should be understood as an enabler, not a threat.
Etienne reinforced this with a workflow lens: faster loops reduce unforced errors. When teams can iterate quickly with proper context, they avoid the expensive, stressful back-and-forth that happens when issues are discovered late and escalated across layers.
Takeaways For Localization Leaders and Product Teams
Across tools, workflows, and organizational questions, the session converged on a few practical takeaways:
- Move localization upstream: integrate requirements and design into the localization conversation.
- Design with reality in mind: test UI constraints using worst-case strings and real translation behavior.
- Preserve and use context: visual and positional context improve both human and AI output.
- Treat repositories as the operational source of truth: measure readiness based on what ships.
- Add QA intelligence early: AI-assisted verification helps prioritize human effort and reduce risk.
- Focus on iteration speed: faster loops prevent late-stage escalations and reduce burnout.
About The Speakers
- Adam Asnes is CEO and Founder of Lingoport, a software company focused on internationalization and localization solutions for product development.
- Simon Hodgkins, CMO at Vistatec, speaks about Vistatec’s AI-enabled verification approach.
- Etienne Kröger is a Consultant and SA & Linguistic Engineer, with experience across the localization and product engineering landscape, including large-scale environments.
Learn More and Continue The Conversation
During the closing remarks, the speakers encouraged attendees to follow upcoming events and continue the discussion through their respective channels, including Vistatec’s website and LinkedIn presence, as well as Lingoport’s updates and outreach.
The core message of the webinar was clear. With the right workflows and verification layers in place, localization becomes earlier, clearer, and more collaborative, leading to better products and calmer releases.