Laila Grainawi • VP of Design, Global Design Director
Product Marketing Info

iTranslate

2022-2024

Designing for Understanding
iTranslate had one of the world’s most powerful translation engines—but like many feature-rich tools, it risked feeling complex to everyday users. My goal was to simplify the experience without losing depth. As VP of Design and Global Design Director, I led product and brand design initiatives to make translation feel effortless, intuitive, and human.


The Challenge
With over 100 supported languages, automatic detection, and multiple input modes, iTranslate needed to guide users with clarity—especially first-time or non-native speakers. The experience had to feel seamless across edge cases, whether someone was typing, pasting, or switching between dialects.


My Focus
I led a cross-functional effort to bring clarity, efficiency, and emotional resonance into the iTranslate experience, while future-proofing its interface for a global, mobile-first audience.
  • Simplified the Core UX: Refined interaction models around text input, language switching, and detection—reducing visual clutter and introducing more intuitive button placement, animations, and feedback states.
  • Redesigned UI for Accessibility: Focused on scalable typography, high-contrast visual treatments, and microcopy optimized for non-native speakers. The interface was designed to reduce hesitation and increase confidence at every touchpoint.
  • Unified Visual System: Extended a cleaner, more modern design system across the product, aligning with the larger Teltech suite without compromising global reach or platform neutrality.
  • Collaborated on Motion Design: Introduced subtle, informative transitions—such as animated toggles and context-sensitive language indicators—to make the product feel responsive and alive.
  • Tested Across International Use Cases: Partnered with localization experts and QA to ensure that the interface adapted gracefully across character sets, reading directions, and cultural expectations.


Outcomes


  • Streamlined UX across core text translation flows, improving ease of use for global users
  • Increased accessibility and user confidence through simplified UI and visual clarity
  • Unified brand expression across iOS, Android, and web

🏆 Webby Award Winner – Learning & Education, Apps & Software, 2024
🏆 Consistently ranked among the top translation apps globally 500K+ App Store reviews and sustained category leadership


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Team


Laila Grainawi - VP, Design
Zlatko Klemenic - Lead Brand Designer
LaQuan Allen - Motion Designer
Leigh Grubbs - Sr. Graphic Designer
Hannah Buhr - Sr. Graphic Designer
Emily Cheng - Sr. Digital Designer (CRM)
Crissy Milazzo - Sr. Copywriter + Brand Strategist
Sasha Niciphor - Product Design Director
Pierre-Yves Levices - Sr. Product Designer
Mirna Smrekar - Director, Product Management