SoundSpace immersive experience
An immersive experience that allows a sonic exploration of personal space.
Credits
Kate Chernysheva (MA User Experience Design)
Ula Rodakowska (MA User Experience Design)
Brief
Redesign the acoustic properties of a space
My role
Being one-third of a design team, in collaboration with the external partner Bittersuite.
Bittersuite x MA UX
In part of the Micro UX unit of the course, our team was approached by Bittersuite, a small company that aims to re-imagine music and audio experiences through senses.
Analysing spaces
The project required us to choose a space to redesign the acoustic properties of. From historical sound mirrors to a laundry machine, we analysed how materials and shape affect sound in a space.
Experiments
To explore the different directions that we had in mind, our team experimented with spatial awareness, storytelling through sound, the acoustics of self and sensory feedbacks using various objects and technologies
The concept of personal space
From identified design opportunities and with a part of subjectivity, we chose the body, and more specifically the concept of personal space as a space to redesign the acoustic properties of.
A communication device focusing on heartbeats.
Using contact microphones to transmit sounds and aluminium hats to cover vision, we started off with a space-like low-fidelity prototype.
Sensing personal space
With a virtual grid on a floor, headphones and blindfolds, participants of our mid-fidelity prototype could explore the concept of personal space in a new way.
The SoundSpace immersive experience
The high-fidelity design consisted of an immersive experience taking place in a pitch-black room, allowing two participants to freely explore personal space after hearing instructions in their headphones.
Click here to discover the full process of this project on my blog
Open Medium
Results
A 7-week long exploratory and iterative process led to this immersive experience that was awarded by positive feedback given by our final testers, our tutors and our project partner Bittersuite.
What I learnt
Doing exploratory research and experimentation
Setting up an immersive installation
Managing pressure with a tight deadline
