Designing Sounds for Products

Creating UI sounds for products is the art and practice of understanding the needs of the user and creating an intuitive user experience. Good UI sound design makes for an engaging user journey and enhances the product and overall brand experience. On the other hand, poor sound design or unmeaningful sounds can devalue a brand, the user experience and make a product feel annoying to use.

Your product is not better than how you sound.

Everyday Sounds

You will probably hear around 30-40 different product sounds during an average day in today’s modern world; Your alarm, Messenger notification, “beep” from your coffee machine or stove, the “unlock car” sound, a Skype call, doors closing in trains, etc.

Try to think of all the sounds you hear during your day.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of sound in product design. Traditionally, the focus of product design has been primarily on visual aesthetics and functional aspects. However, as technology continues to advance and products become more interactive and interconnected, designers are realizing that sound can greatly impact the usability, branding, and emotional connection users have with their products. Meaningful product sound design is becoming more and more critical.

If customized and meticulously crafted for the business, the functional sounds we hear via our products can add tremendous power to a brand and contribute to its holistic experience. Sound design is crucial for the perception of the quality of a product and user experience.

Stay on top of the consumer’s mind

The sound’s design represents the product’s function and the brand’s quality and is also one of the most excellent tools to create brand recognisability, trust, and recall.

Just try and listen to these iconic sounds and see how quickly you can recognize the brand behind them.

Why Custom-Made Sound Design?

When customized and designed to suit the product or app’s specific needs and personality, sounds have a far more powerful impact on the user. Research has found that user experiences consisting of premium, custom-made sounds are strongly preferred compared to generic and stock sounds.

The significant impact these small sounds have on increasing purchase intent and brand preference should not be mistaken, raising the standards of what a good user experience should sound like.

How sound design creates better UX.

Bespoke Sound Design

We take pride in creating all our product sounds from scratch, either recorded or synthesized. We are dedicated to crafting a unique, recognizable and functional product sound landscape for each project. With our expertise and honed techniques, we deliver the best sound design and ensure that clients receive unique and customized content.

Learn the different types of UI sounds here.

A Coherent Experience

By focusing on the relationship between audio elements, logical design frameworks, and human-centered design, we can build simple, familiar, and brand-strengthening interactions that are connected in an intuitive way.

To ensure a seamless experience, we establish a clear relationship between the sound and the function that it represents. This connection allows users to intuitively understand and navigate the interface. A logical design framework provides a blueprint for audio elements, including tone, pitch, volume, and timing. This framework ensures that audio cues align with the intended user experience, enhancing interpretation and response.

How sound design can help your products be more memorable.

Strategic and Proven Process

When creating product sounds, we follow a meticulous process. We establish a sound hierarchy, develop a personality profile for the product, and create a clear mapping for each sound. This ensures a cohesive and engaging auditory experience that enhances usability and fosters an emotional connection with users.

Throughout the process, we value client collaboration and feedback to deliver a final product that aligns with their vision and exceeds expectations.

How Sound Shapes our Perception of a Product: UI Sound Design Insights

Specific Product Mixing

The physical attributes of a product greatly influence how its sound is experienced. We take into account factors such as materials, construction, and component layout to create sounds that seamlessly align with the product’s design. By considering these physical aspects, we enhance the overall user experience and ensure a cohesive auditory perception.

Accounting For Cultural Differences

Culture is a fascinating and intricate system that permeates various aspects of our lives, including even the simplest tasks like using a remote control or flipping a light switch.

Take, for example, the act of changing slides during a presentation. Surprisingly, there exists a stark divide in opinions regarding the correct direction to press on a remote control to accomplish this seemingly mundane task. Approximately 50% of people believe that pressing the “up” button is the way to go, while the other half staunchly argues for pressing the “down” button. These cultural differences and preferences also exist in sound and we account for them at every step.

Learn how sound can make electric vehicles safer.