Les_Sons

Abstract

Despite the fact that product sounds have been shown to have a significant impact on the experience of products, product sounds are rarely considered in design projects and design education at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. Research through literature review and expert interviews revealed that product sound design requires an interdisciplinary approach. A framework was created from different areas of product sound design. This framework separates that product sounds are influenced on three levels. The first is the product features, i.e. the components that act as a sound source. At this level, it is most important to consider how acoustic and engineering decisions can influence the perception of sound as derived from psychoacoustics. The second level, the object level, is about factors that influence the composition of the product and is mostly based on knowledge from subfields of musicology. The third level, the scene level, considers the sound of the product together with its use and location. This makes it possible to assess whether the external influences still result in the desired sound. Based on this framework, a digital audio design tool was developed. The purpose of this tool was to give practical examples of how sounds can be changed. This is achieved by providing parameters that have an impact on the engineering of a product, such as the choice of components and materials, and by allowing a composition of all the features to create the sound of the whole product. Finally, external factors such as the user’s interaction with the product and the influence of the context in which the product’s sound is heard can also be modelled. User testing has shown that this tool allows creative exploration of possible product sounds, while being concrete enough to gather initial design objectives. As an ideation tool, it provides direction for the further development of the product, taking into account its sound.