Investigating effective methods of designing sonifications

Abstract

This study aims to provide an insight into effective sonification design. There are currently no standardized design methods, allowing a creative development approach. Sonifcation has been implemented in many different applications from scientific data representation to novel styles of musical expression. This means that methods of practice can vary a greatly. The indistinct line between art and science might be the reason why sonification is still sometimes deemed by scientists with a degree of scepticism. Some well established practitioners argue that it is poor design that renders sonifications meaningless, in-turn having an adverse effect on acceptance. To gain a deeper understanding about sonification research and development 11 practitioners were interviewed. They were asked about methods of sonification design and their insights. The findings present information about sonification research and development, and a variety of views regarding sonification design practice.