Tamil first, not translated later
Most of our users think in Tamil. Designing for that from day one changes fonts, layouts, AI prompts and even data models.
· 2 min read · For anyone building software for Tamil Nadu users
Valarchi, NewsDesk, a Tamil fact-checking site, a public notices portal and Aram all have one thing in common: a large share of their users read Tamil first.
We learned the hard way that "we will add Tamil later" means "Tamil will feel like an afterthought". So now we start with it.
What changes when you start with Tamil
- Line heights and widths. Tamil script is taller and words are longer. A button that fits "Submit" will not fit "சமர்ப்பிக்கவும்". We design with the Tamil string first.
- Fonts. We pick fonts that render Tamil cleanly on cheap Android phones, and we load them carefully so the first screen does not wait.
- Names and data. Our public notices portal handles name changes in both Tamil and English as separate services, because they are legally separate notices.
- AI and language. Sol answers in the language you asked in. Valarchi writes parent cards in simple Tamil, not a word-for-word translation.
Simple, not formal
Government Tamil can be very formal. Our rule is to write the way a teacher would explain to a parent at the school gate. Short sentences. Common words.
It is more work up front. It is much less work than rebuilding a product that nobody in the district wants to open.
