Sound Embodied: Explorations of Sonic Interaction Design for Everyday Objects in a Workshop Setting

Abstract

We describe an emergent field of considerable relevance to the auditory display community – that of sonic interaction design for everyday artifacts. It is positioned at the intersection of auditory display, product interaction design, and ubiquitous computing. We describe an exploration of this field that we have undertaken in a workshop setting, with an international mix of designers, students and researchers, aimed at investigating new roles for auditory display in everyday products, and possible methodologies for designing them. In this paper, we define sonic interaction design, describe the outcome of this workshop, which has been planned as the first in a series, and indicate future directions. We point to new research initiatives, including the European project CLOSED (Closing the Loop of Sound Evaluation and Design), which aims at providing new tools that are needed by designers working in this emerging field.