Thesis

"How can designers take better advantage of sound?"

My thesis research looks at how designers can make better use of the sensory modality of audition. Specifically, my thesis paper explores how designers can gain greater insight into sound as an aspect of interaction and product experience using the "useful-usable-desirable" framework.

My thesis project, which is closely related, explores how designers can be encouraged to think about sound and the potential of audition as an element of product experience, and bring this thinking into their design process. To accomplish this goal, I began with a literature review, and compared existing descriptive frameworks for discussing sound with a personal inventory of product sounds to develop a new language to help designers place thinking about auditory interactions. I then engaged in a design process, creating a digital scrapbooking application, and used my process to identify a simple method that other designers can use to develop design solutions that incorporate sound in a meaningful fashion.

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