The nature of translation has provided the focus of longstanding debates. While some scholars pursue translation as an aesthetic, creativity-driven activity, others explore the practical functions or social utility of translation in fulfilling unmet needs. The term transcreation is used here to denote a purposeful integration of both approaches to translation to serve the needs of diverse people for information in an accessible, equitable, inclusive, creative and engaging way. The term transcreation highlights the nature of translation as an inventive, resourceful, human-centered activity that seeks to eliminate barriers to the communication and understanding between languages, cultures, communities, and individuals of all capabilities.
The acquisition of information requires a human-centered design of messages and modality, or the signified and signifier. According to semiology, the link of sign to reality is arbitrary, and the representation of the signified is equally arbitrary. The combination of different signified and signifier pairs contributes to the...