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
