Article
Case studies
Ebook
Video
Webinar
Event
Janany Perinparajah has been a Development Engineer for more than 4 years at SYSTRAN. Her role is to improve the user experience on machine translation tools (applications, interfaces, sites). Learn about her job and what drives her every day !
Could you introduce yourself?
I am Janany, Development Engineer at SYSTRAN for 4 years. I work on technical development within the front-end developer team, known internally as the “Server&Apps” team.
Among the 6 members of the Server&Apps development team, each one is an expert in their field – I am a React technology specialist!
The Development Engineer is in charge of machine translation technologies evolution, to facilitate user navigation.
My role is therefore to intervene directly on applications, websites and software, to design the user experience through the development of functionalities, UX rules, etc.
What is a development engineer?
Every day, I implement new features while improving tools for users – for example, an application that allows you to use translation engines directly via a browser extension, no need to open the Translate Box!
How does your role fit into the team?
Our team is well balanced, each has its role to play. If we are never in direct contact with customers (the Support Team manage them exclusively), we think always about them to improve our work.
I don’t work directly with language engineers, who train translation engines. Instead, the back-end team regularly works with them to develop the connectors linking the interface to the engines.
This work enables the use of translation engines with tools (such as filter functionality) that make translation visible and functional on the interface.
What is a good user experience?
This is the primary goal of the development engineer! For me, the user experience is based on four pillars:
- Intuitivity: an application or interface needs to be ready for use quickly, the user does not need a tutorial.
- Simplicity and logic: everything must be easily accessible (e.g. minimizing the number of clicks needed to obtain a translation that facilitates the user’s journey);
- Aesthetic: this is perhaps the most difficult part – the challenge is to highlight all the features of very rich interfaces, so that they can be used intuitively! And above all, make you want to use our tools!
- Functionality: provide a robust and value-added service
What are your other missions?
Check vulnerability of interfaces
Security at SYSTRAN is entrusted to experts in the field, but it remains a major issue in my team.
In our daily lives, we often use third parties: these are plug-ins, used in software and interfaces, whose vulnerability has to be check regularly.
We also apply security standards in the design of interfaces with one goal in mind: to protect user data.
Monitor technological developments and work as a team!
In my work, I also do technical intelligence, it means I learn about the technologies developments related to machine translation.
Sometimes I work also on a project as member of a team (it’s called peer programming). It allows me to unlock some complex topics and improve the interaction with other teams.
The Development Engineer’s job facilitates the use of machine translation for everyone, by combining user and technical thinking. Their role within a team with multiple skills is articulated with the work of back-end developpers ans linguists for an easy-to-use and efficient machine translation.
