Designing for Humans

Update on LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen - 3D Sound Recording

Some bad news/good news regarding the forthcoming LiveScribe Smartpen that I had discussed in December.  The bad news is that the pen will not be available in January as had originally been communicated, but now in March - although pre-orders are supposed to happen prior to then ($199 for 2GB model).

On the good news side, LiveScribe has released more detail about the Smartpen including technical specs, features and videos.  The most newsworthy feature announced is the stereo recording capability which can be done via dual microphones built-in to the pen, or via earphone-based microphones.  In the past I have talked about the value of stereo recording in user research.  But microphones worn on the ears take this a step further, by allowing binaural recording, which is actually more veridical then conventional stereo.  In other words, recordings made with microphones positioned on the ears will sound much more realistic in terms of sound space, relative loudness, etc., compared to two stereo microphones on the recording device itself - sort of the auditory equivalent of visual 3D.  This definitely takes the pen further past the tipping point for me in terms of desirability.

The Value of High Quality Sound Recording in Research

A few weeks ago I discussed the use of iPods for field audio recordings.  While convenient, iPods are not know for the quality of recordings, especially with respect to the relatively inexpensive third-party microphones available for the iPod.

Audio recording can be more than just a means of documenting what was said in an interview.  It can provide high fidelity reproduction of an environment effective for communicating a situation or developing a solution. 

For those interested in higher quality recordings, there are a range of options and a corresponding range of costs.  A balanced solution is a product like the Samson Zoom H2.  At just under $200, this compact digital recording device enables high-quality stereo recording through the use of not two, but for microphones.  You can read more about the value of having four spatially displaced microphones on Samson's site, but in my opinion there are at least three potential benefits to recording in high quality stereo:

1. Better Resolution for Analysis:  Spatial separation of sound typically improves speech legibility in noisy environments (e.g. background noise, multiple speakers).  This not only helps you understand what someone is saying, but can you help differentiate among multiple speakers by their spatial position.
2. More Compelling Presentations: Rather than presenting feedback or quotes via text, an audience is more likely to be affected by hearing a direct recording of the speaker (e.g. the user, customer,etc).  Providing that sample in the context of the actual sound environment can present the issue more clearly. For example, a call-center operator who is trying to do his or her job while loud conversations are going on on either side of the operator's workstation.
3. More Realistic Recordings for Design Simulation:  It is often useful to have accurate sound recordings of an environment in order to successfully design for that situation.  For example, medical device alarms need to "compete" with ambient hospital background sounds including those of other, critical medical devices.  A high quality stereo recording can recreate that environment for design and testing purposes.

With the relative quality of sound becoming less important to most consumers who are used to MP3 and cell phone quality audio, the use of affordable, high quality recording and playback technology is a welcome return.

-Rob Tannen

IDSA Conference - Sound Quality and Noise Presentation

Attached is David Bowen's presentation on sound quality from the IDSA national conference session on Sound in Product Design. 

Download SoundInProductDesign.pdf

You may contact David at dbowen@acentech.com

Stephen Wilcox gets Sirius with the Human Factors Society

The April issue of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Bulletin has a cover story interview with Stephen Wilcox.  Stephen, who is the chair of the IDSA Human Factors section, discusses the design of the user interface for Sirius radio products.

The interview can be accessed through the following link:

http://www.hfes.org/web/BulletinPdf/0406bulletin.pdf

Basics of Sound and Hearing

[Note: This content is adapted from the chapter "Sound as Information: An Introduction to Auditory Display" that I wrote for the book Audio Anecdotes II]

In order to understand how sound can be applied effecitvely in the design of products, it is essential to understand the mechanics of sounds itself. 

Although physical acoustics can get quite technical and mathematical, the underlying premise is quite simple, and was succinctly put by Bill Gaver (Gaver, W.W. (1993).  What in the world do we hear?: An ecological approach to auditory event perception.  Ecological Psychology, 5, 1-29) in the following statement:

“a given sound provides information about an interaction of materials at a location in an environment”

This statement has the following implications:

• Sound, by definition, requires the movement of an object or objects. The particular materials and interactions involved will determine the characteristics of the resulting sound. 
• Beyond the materials involved and their interactions, sound informs listeners about location.  It is our ability to localize an event via its sound that enables us to react appropriately.  A sound that is distant will elicit a different reaction than a sound that is nearby.  Likewise a sound that occurs behind will cause a response different than a sound that is in front of a listener.  The ability to localize information via sound is arguably the greatest asset of hearing. 
• The last part of Gaver’s definition refers to the interaction of materials at a location in an environment.  Sound informs the listener about an event-taking place at a certain location within a certain kind of environment.  There are a number of ways in which the environment may alter the acoustical characteristics of a sound.  The most obvious example is an echo, where the size and reflectivity of the environment allow for audible repetitions of a sound, with each successive repetition weaker than the previous.  Any environment (with the exception of a completely open or absorptive space) will reflect sound waves and create repetitions.

It should be evident by now that any sound can reveal a great deal of information to a listener: the interaction of objects involved in creating the sound, the location of the sound with respect to the listener, and the spaciousness and composition of the environment. 

The richness of information inherent in auditory perception can be leveraged to use sound as a more effective means to communicate information.  To do so successfully, requires a fuller understanding of how sound can and has been used to display information.

Acoustics and Product Design: An Introduction

This is the first in a periodic series on sound and acoustics in product design.

Industrial design focuses primarily on the visual and tactile presentation of form.  Product designers typically have little training around the auditory characteristics of product design.  Even in cases where sound is a key characteristics of a product (e.g. a radio), much of the decision-making around acoustical characteristics are made separately from that of the overall product design.

Should sound be an important aspect of product design?  And if so, what role can product designers play in this?

The shift in recent years from "product design" to "experience design",  has placed an emphasis on design beyond the basics of the product itself.  That is, all elements of a product - it's function, aesthetics, even maintenance, need to be considered from a design perspective.  Similarly, supporting experiences delivered through advertising, packaging, instructions, technical support, etc.should consistently reflect a comparable qualitative experience.  In other words, design consideration needs to be applied to a user or customer's entire interaction throughout the product's life-cycle.

Designing the acoustical aspects of the product experience is a natural extension of product/experience design.  We can consider three aspects to the acoustical design of a product:

• Primary Acoustical Characteristics - These are the sounds a product produces through it's intended usage.  They may be manually, mechanically or electronically generated.  Examples include the on/off click of a light switch, the whirr of a drill, the dial tone of a phone or the snap of a camera.
• Secondary Acoustical Characteristics - These are sounds that a product produces beyonds its basic usage.  For example, when removing it from its packaging, or transporting the product. 
• Negative Characteristics - These are undesirable sounds that are produced through product usage: the wind noise in driving a car, the hum of an electrical device.

Each of these aspects can be considered in the design of product and will be covered in subsequent articles in this series.  Note that many of the sounds we associate with products were not intentionally designed.

Next time: Some basics on acoustics