The National CollegeDesigning for Life
A Soundtrack to Life - The Role of Sound in Industrial Design
Tara McGinn
Elevator music, music in supermarkets and telephone 'hold' music are all examples of how sound has come to ornament our existence. We have become so used to and enveloped by constant sound and noise that we are almost oblivious to it - no longer appreciating sound as sound, but dismissing it as background noise to our everyday lives. As one of the most important faculties of perception however, every sound we hear has the ability to influence how we think and feel. In the same way that an atmospheric soundtrack can add to the suspense in a horror film, the sound produced by a product can influence how we relate to it. The door of a new Mercedes for example, shuts with a velvety sound that bespeaks luxury. A cheaply made cassette player on the other hand, closes with an awkward 'clunk' reflective of its inferior quality. If sonorous presence carries such obvious influence, why has it remained consistently undervalued in industrial design?
In order to understand this neglect, it is necessary to look to the past. History will tell us that since its origins, the practice of industrial design has moved in three separate directions. The first, functionalism, concerns engineering and making products work. The second, aesthetics, concerns a product's form and appearance; and the third, human sciences, is concerned with communication and the relationship between the product and the user. In an ideal situation a 'united manifestation' of all three should occur, resulting in a well-designed product with 'a balance of social, intellectual and emotional experience' (Moholy-Nagy in Buchanan & Margolin, 1995, p. 26). Design trends and changing societal values however, have meant that this has not always been the case. The degree of importance attached to each of these three aspects has changed considerably over time. As a result, design has more often been a strategy of form, or of function, than of satisfying the emotions.
The past few decades however, have seen the human sciences gain in importance in the design process. The emergence of a society anchored on consumerism and materialism has left many people craving a return to the more sensual things in life, namely interaction and emotional fulfilment. Designers have responded to this need by creating personalities for their products. In examining qualities such as texture, decoration and movement, designers can evoke emotional responses from the consumer that would never have been possible through the prevalence of functionalism or aestheticism. Sound can play a valuable role in providing this type of intimate interaction.While visual aesthetics are solid, sound is often momentary - lost as soon as it is gained. It is the intangibility of sound that makes it so intriguing and it is this intrigue that can make a product seem personal and precious. Sound, therefore, has emerged as a valuable entity in appealing to the needs of the modern consumer.
Despite the growing appreciation of sensuality in design, the idea of using sound to evoke that sensuality has been relatively slow to catch on. There are a few encouraging signs however, notably the work of the French car manufacturer Renault. With the aid of psychologists, musicians and market researchers, the sounds produced within a Renault vehicle are researched and refined in order to provide maximum acoustic comfort for the driver (de Noblet ed., 1995, p. 328). Each sound is designed to evoke a particular emotion, an emotion that is ideal according to marketing criteria. The company recognises that the ear has its own special predilections when it comes to the creation of an aural impression. Everything from the hum of the engine to the 'swish' of the windscreen wipers is simulated in a recording studio by an acoustician-musician and then handed over to engineers to be reproduced mechanically. The designers therefore, employ a process that gives precedence to the human elements of design over the functional. Guided by what the public need and desire, rather than what the company feel is prudent to produce, each car has its own individual character through sound and therefore is as 'human' and 'friendly' in interaction as possible.
Through their innovative approach to sensuality in design, Renault have succeeded in capturing and reflecting the spirit of our times. They have recognised that the most desirable product is no longer the most expensive or the best looking, rather it is the one with the best human focus. A product can fail, due to ignorance of the persuasive aspects of its existence. As progressive companies such as Renault reap the benefits of using sound, it is inevitable that those who continue to ignore its influence will lose out.
Sound Signals
As well as emotional appeal, sound can also be used to communicate on a more functional level. As a signalling device, sound can provide information that may not be available in any other way. Consider the mouse of a personal computer. The gentle 'click' produced on operation assures the user that the command has taken place. Without it, we would be less certain that the connection has been made. This concept is known as feedback, and better design thinking in this area can contribute to achieving more intelligent, meaningful and satisfying experiences for the user.
If they are to be useful, sound signals must be generated intelligently. They must be designed so that the hearer understands exactly what information the sound is conveying. In recognising, interpreting and understanding a sound as a signal, the hearer must rely on memories. The wide variety of human experience is what produces the greater difficulty here. Every mind is shaped by a different bundle of experiences so a sound can mean something different to everyone who encounters it. There are, however, substantial areas of uniformity based on common exposure. Social distinctions, cultural identities and moral values mean that some degree of general consensus is built. It is on this consensus that aural signals are based. Social consensus takes time to build and, once formed, can be difficult to alter. Because of this, most widely recognised aural signals are primitive and ugly rather than original or stimulating. Unfortunately, our lives are still held together by the strands of meaning that these worn forms convey.
An example of progression in this area can be seen through the evolution of the telephone. In xxxx the Bell Company perfected its technology and turned to Henry Dreyfuss, one of the most celebrated designers of the period, to give the invention a body. One of the most celebrated designs of the last century was born. Yet, when it came to developing a sound for the device, Bell did not seek the services of a musician or composer. Instead, they made do with an ordinary bell (de Noblet ed., 1995, p. 328). This was a reflection of the failing of society at the time, to recognise the importance of contributing sensual factors in design.
For a long time, there was no change in the voice of the telephone. Up until recently, we continued to be summoned by a shrill, demanding ring that shattered the relative peace of our lives with unfriendly, industrialist tones. The telephone, therefore, as a relatively modern invention, had already established for itself a set of accepted conventions in relation to how it should sound. With the emergence of a new sensually aware age of design in the latter decades of the twentieth century, and the evolution of the mobile phone as an item of personal expression, it was only logical that the sound of the telephone should be modified to reflect the changing values of our time.
Nokia, the Finnish producer of mobile phones, were quick to notice this. Their designs gained a critical lead in the marketplace by enabling customers to 'customise' their phone with accessories, such as removable and interchangeable colour 'skins'. This created a product that better met the needs of a diverse society. It allowed the user to form a relationship with their phone as an item of individual expression. This new thinking was continued into the area of sound design. Instead of adopting the conventional telephone ring, Nokia decided to introduce a range of diverse and unrelated ring-types, previously unheard of in telephone sound design. The process has evolved to such an extent that nowadays, virtually any song or melody can be programmed into a phone and used to alert the user of incoming calls. This is a far cry from the basic and objectionable bell that polluted our aural environment not too long ago.
In failing to treat aural signals through modern design thinking, the sensibilities of the public have been subjected to functionalist ideals that have long outlived their welcome. Sound signals need to follow the trends of the rest of the design profession in allowing sensual innovation to dominate convention. The evolution of the telephone has proven that social consensus in the perception of sound can be made to change, improving the environment for all concerned.
Sonic Branding
A phenomenon known as ohrwurm from the German word meaning literally an 'earworm', refers to the way in which sounds can enter the brain via the ear, and is also suggestive of how invasive this can be and how difficult such sounds are to get back out again. Sound, therefore, can be extremely effective as a branding device. Like graphic symbols used in logos, sounds can express the individual character of a business rather than refer directly to the company name. In the same way graphic designers select a font that matches a brand, sound qualities can also be selected to match brand ethics. The most widely used form of sonic branding is the sonic logo; a short musical piece, one to three seconds long, that is the sonic equivalent of a visual trademark. All of the brand values are represented here in their most condensed form.
The effects and benefits of sonic branding are highly evident in the computer technology company Intel. Their 'Intel Inside' sonic logo was introduced to create brand awareness for their 1994 Pentium Processor. Since then it has evolved into their premier marketing vehicle, used in television, radio, on-line and in-store advertising campaigns. The success of the logo is due to several reasons. Firstly, it allows for unmistakable branding - confirming the identity of the brand in the consumer's mind every time it is heard. Secondly, it can be perceived almost subconsciously. This allows the advertiser to deliver the branded message without requiring the attention of the listener. And thirdly, it is recalled easily. Because it is musically evocative, sound operates continually at an emotional level. Repeated continually, a sonic logo can gradually alter brand perception in the minds of consumers - without them even realising this (Wilson, 2000, p. 14).
The use of sound in brand design can be seen as an important means of communicating brand values. As a readily marketable commodity, however, it is also something that can be controlled and exploited for commercial interests. As a result, it often loses the original conviction of the message it was intended to convey, becoming a means of making profit rather than the potent barer of a particular ideology. Through sonic branding, the use of sound to influence perception becomes less of an emotionally valuable experience and touches on the more sinister practice of coercion.
With the emergence of sonic branding, the influence of sound on our everyday lives is steadily gaining momentum. The potential effects of sound are being more readily explored both at an individual level and on society as a whole. As more and more designers become aware of the particular potency and power of sound, they must also become aware of the responsibility they hold in harnessing that power. Through sound, the design profession can communicate with consumers in a way that was neglected through the prevalence of functionalism or aestheticism. Designers need to take advantage of our society's willingness to embrace this value and create products and environments worthy of our attention.
Bibliography
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BUCHANAN & MARGOLIN (eds.), The Idea of Design, Massachusetts, The MIT Press, 1995.
DE NOBLET, Jocelyn (ed.), Industrial Design - Reflection of a Century, Paris, Flammarion/APCI, 1993.
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Journals
GEARY, James, 'Mad About the Noise', Time, vol. 152, no. 4, July 1998, p. 38.
RENAULT, Selection of Brochures, 2000-2001.
Web Sources
RENAULT IN FOCUS, http://www.renault.com, (12th October 2000).
SONIC BRAND CO., http://www.sonicbrand.com/listen/content.html, (29th December 2000).
WILSON, Chris, Radio Advertising Bureau 'The Grammar of Radio Advertising', http://www.rab.co.uk/html/pages/understanding_radio/e3.htm, (3rd January 2001).
