Product sound design

Current interactive products, services, and environments are appraised by their sensory attributes, in addition to their form and function. Sound is an important factor in these multisensory product appraisals. Denmark is a leading country in perceptual sound evaluation; yet integrating this expertise into the design and development of interactive products, which are fit for real world, yet constitute a strong brand identity, remains a challenge. We address this challenge by novel application of research and practices of two partners (AAU­‐CPH and Audiowise, respectively) within the core R&D and production process of the third one (Jabra). Identifying the importance of the sound in interaction, products, and brand identity, we propose to focus on the mid-level, for the development of innovative interactive products, with a top-­down link from sonic brand identity, and bottom-up link from the design and evaluation of multisensory interaction. Our approach has clear application scenarios in, e.g., extended wireless headsets, car audio appliances, and portable entertainment devices; all realizable with the expertise of the partners.

The prototypes developed during the project life span, and the IPR and scientific dissemination will be the impact measures of the PSD project. A phase two project will follow with usability and user experience evaluation.

Project participants:
Jabra
Audiowise
Aalborg University