The sounding side of materials and products. A sensory interaction revaluated in the user-experience

Beatrice  Lerma

doi:10.18682/cdc.vi94.3891

Beatrice Lerma

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18682/cdc.vi94.3891

Keywords: Material Design; Multisensory Design; Sensory Design Tools; Sound Design

Abstract

The new trends in the world of materials and products, growingly focused on a new eco-friendliness and interaction with nature – yet still distinguished by a strong anthropocentrism – lead to the development of materials, systems, technology, and smart, interlinked, expressive, communicative, alive, and hybrid products. A world in which it is almost difficult for designers to find their bearings: how can one interact with such materials and products What is their reaction to touch and smell? What are their distinguishing visual traits? What are their sounds? There is a vast number of tools to analyse and assess such aspects: this article will focus on the “sound” element of materials and products, and using one tool in particular, the SounBe, used to qualitatively assess the acoustics of materials and artefacts.

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