CHI 2008 Proceedings · Workshops April 5-10, 2008 · Florence, Italy
Sonic Interaction Design:
Sound, Information and Experience
Davide Rocchesso Gerhard Eckel Abstract
IUAV University of Venice IEM - Graz, Austria Sonic Interaction Design (SID) is an emerging field
Venezia, Italy eckel@iem.at that is positioned at the intersection of auditory display,
roc@iuav.it ubiquitous computing, interaction design, and
Karmen Franinovic interactive arts. SID can be used to describe practice
Stefania Serafin ZHDK - Zürich, Switzerland and inquiry into any of various roles that sound may
Aalborg University Copenhagen k.franinovic@gmail.com play in the interaction loop between users and artifacts,
Ballerup, Denmark services, or environments, in applications that range
sts@imi.aau.dk Thomas Hermann from the critical functionality of an alarm, to the artistic
University of Bielefeld significance of a musical creation. This field is devoted
Frauke Behrendt Bielefeld, Germany to the privileged role the auditory channel can assume
University of Sussex thermann@techfak.uni-bielefeld.de in exploiting the convergence of computing,
Brighton, UK communication, and interactive technologies. An over-
F.Behrendt@sussex.ac.uk Sandra Pauletto emphasis on visual displays has constrained the
University of York, UK development of interactive systems that are capable of
Nicola Bernardini sp148@york.ac.uk making more appropriate use of the auditory modality.
Conservatorio “C. Pollini” Today the ubiquity of computing and communication
Padova, Italy Patrick Susini resources allows us to think about sounds in a pro-
nicb@sme-ccppd.org IRCAM active way. This workshop puts a spotlight on such
Paris, France issues in the context of the emerging domain of SID.
Roberto Bresin susini@ircam.fr
KTH Keywords
Stockholm, Sweden Yon Visell Sound Design, Auditory Display, Multimodal Interaction,
roberto@kth.se McGill University Product Design, Interactive Arts and Music, Sound
Montreal, Canada Perception and Cognition, Sound Modelling
yon@cim.mcgill.ca
ACM Classification Keywords
H.5.5. Sound and Music Computing
Copyright is held by the authors.
H.5.2. User Interfaces
CHI 2008, April 5 –10, 2008, Florence, Italy
ACM 978-1-60558-012-8/08/04.
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CHI 2008 Proceedings · Workshops April 5-10, 2008 · Florence, Italy
Introduction Goals of the Workshop
Thinking back to Edison's phonograph or, more recently, The SID workshop intends to foster discussions around
to the mp3 craze, one may well say that music has and promote the integration of scattered research
been a driving factor for technology [1]. But, can the efforts in sound modeling, design, art, perception and
same be said for sound in general? To date, non- cognition into a coherent movement capable of
musical sounds have been accepted as by-products of improving the interactive acoustic appearance of future
technologies rather than being exploited for their environments. It aims to achieve this by providing a
intrinsic value. As a result, an acoustically polluted forum to present and discuss relevant current work
world is what most people have been experiencing within and spanning these areas, organized around
since the industrial revolution. Times are mature to several key themes.
think about sound as one of the main design
dimensions of the environments in which we live and Perceptual, Cognitive, and Emotional Study
work. That means overcoming the sound-as-noise of Sonic Interactions
cultural barrier and promoting a sound-as-information This strand of the workshop showcases current
attitude. This tendency is already visible in the market research surrounding the ways humans perceive,
where new products (e.g., the Nintendo Wii) exploit the understand, and interact through sound – knowledge
tight coupling between sound and gesture in that is basic for the design of new systems that utilize it
interaction. The same trends have manifested in the as a primary modality. From low-level psychoacoustic
performing arts for many years, and have been recently features to more complex attributes motivated by
exposed as main issues in the New Interfaces for auditory modeling, work in this area has positively
Musical Expression (www.nime.org) series of impacted numerous application areas. This has
conferences, which are also a spin-off of a CHI included the identification of sound features salient to
workshop. Designing the sonic appearance of the function of an artifact or system, as in the design of
interactive systems is thus becoming a competitive alerting or signaling sounds [2], to perceptual features
issue as well as a lively playground, which nevertheless of importance for the design of musical sounds or
depends on knowledge that has grown in several control spaces, or those that are matched to more
interrelated fields of research and practice. The holistic subjective quality descriptors for a product’s
relevant areas of research have grown in significance, identity, interaction and task context. Knowledge about
both as a result of the design needs associated to certain classes of functional sounds is of particular
improving the sonic jungles we are increasingly interest for our everyday life. Perception and
confronted with, and as economies of scale and classification of everyday sounds is also an emerging
miniaturization have contributed to a widening array of theme which is featured in one of the contributions to
interactive artifacts and systems that are embedded the workshop. Among other desirable outcomes of
with ever more sophisticated computing, sensing and research in this area, one may identify the development
actuating capabilities. of new sound assessment and predictive tools that may
be useful for sound designers, and the creation of
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CHI 2008 Proceedings · Workshops April 5-10, 2008 · Florence, Italy
psychologically founded frameworks that are useful for role of enactive engagement with sound–augmented
the evaluation of the quality of a particular sound interactive objects. The work of such artists is
design [2]. increasingly being recognized as a driving factor for
technology and sometimes for science as well. New
Product Sound Design fields such as that of “aesthetic computing” [5] are
Sound design already plays a significant role in many emerging from the joint efforts and mutual interests of
areas of product design, especially those which create scientists and artists. Artists and designers have been
products with high functional densities, strong design engaged for some time in questioning the ways that
identities, or which address demanding markets such as sound is used in everyday life and in creatively
car design. Prominent industries that have benefited exploring future possibilities for interactive products
from it include the automobile and cosmetics industries, and systems, including those with embedded sound [6]
but lower profile applications have arisen in diverse or in a mobile context [7]. This workshop strand
other areas, from kitchen appliances to toys and office critically explores the present use of sound as integral
equipment. This strand of the workshop presents the to such artworks, and reveals related future
state-of the art in product design and discusses future opportunities and trends for interactive sound artefacts
opportunities. The interactive use of sound should be through presentations from artist-researchers in the
seen as distinct from applications that serve primarily sonic and performing arts. Some associated goals of
to signal or alert a user to an event, process, or state. this area of contact are to inspire SID research in
The workshop showcases ways in which sound can take complementary disciplines, to reveal interactive product
on a more prominent role [2]: Sound can create or opportunities, and expose social and ethical issues.
reveal new functionalities in a product, when these
functionalities may not be apparent through other Auditory Display and Sonification
modalities, such as the physical form or other visible Auditory display research to date has gravitated around
indicators. Sound design is also crucial in mobile a number of topics such as the sonification of datasets
devices, as shown in one of the contributions to the (interactive or otherwise), auditory feedback in
workshop. Sound can also shape the sonic appearance computing displays, auditory icons, earcons, signaling,
of an artifact, where appearance is thought of as and mobile communication and computing applications.
primarily referring to the qualities of the sound that is Some of this work has been motivated by an increase in
produced through interaction. Sound can also be used awareness of the need for multimodal human computer
to provide feedback to aid users' performance with or interfaces, as the contexts in which computing takes
control over an interface, tool, device, or physical place today include many in which an additional visual
activity. [4] display may not be effective, or may not be an option.
Sonification is beginning to impact many fields such as
Interactive Art and Music information engineering, data mining, biomedicine, and
A major strand of the workshop deals with recent work rehabilitation. By contrast with visualization,
in the interactive and performing arts that exploits the sonification inherently develops in time, is critically
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CHI 2008 Proceedings · Workshops April 5-10, 2008 · Florence, Italy
dependent on interaction, and exploits the fastest of References
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[9] Informational website of the COST IC0601
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Acknowledgements sid.org/
This workshop is sponsored by the European COST
Action IC0601 on Sonic Interaction Design [9].
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