How Poor Localization Breaks UX with Szymon Metkowski
February 11, 2026
In this episode of The Agile Localization Podcast, host Stefan Huyghe is joined by Szymon Metkowski, the Language and UX Consultant at Metkowski translations, to discuss what UX-aware localization really looks like in practice, including why microcopy can make or break first impressions, how UI constraints collide with grammar and culture, and why bringing linguists into the design phase prevents broken layouts, awkward phrasing, and costly retrofits later.
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In this episode of The Agile Localization Podcast, host Stefan Huyghe is joined by Szymon Metkowski, the Language and UX Consultant at Metkowski translations, to discuss what UX-aware localization really looks like in practice, including why microcopy can make or break first impressions, how UI constraints collide with grammar and culture, and why bringing linguists into the design phase prevents broken layouts, awkward phrasing, and costly retrofits later.
What You’ll Learn
- How to reframe localization from a post-launch afterthought into a core product strategy
- Why including linguists in the design phase prevents costly UI breakdowns
- The practical framework for AI-assisted localization
- Why microcopy failures represent the highest-impact localization errors and require cultural embedment
- How to measure localization success using native product metrics
Szymon Metkowski is the Language and UX Consultant at Metkowski translations, bringing over two decades of experience in the language industry. He specializes in UX localization, cultural adaptation, and the integration of AI and language management systems into translation workflows.
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