Designing emotional and intuitive sounds for technology: what psychoacoustics teaches us

A first scientific publication for Ircam amplify!

Ircam amplify has reached an important milestone in the recognition of its expertise in psychoacoustics: a first scientific publication in a renowned academic journal : "Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies". This achievement is the fruit of the work of Anjali Morard, PhD in psychoacoustics and coordinator of the Ircam amplify research team, in collaboration with researchers from the L'Oréal Innovation Center. The article, entitled "Designing Emotional and Intuitive Sounds for Tech: Insights From Psychoacoustics", explores how psychoacoustics can be used to create more intuitive and "emotional" user interfaces for tomorrow's technologies, particularly in the field of Beauty Tech.

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A psychoacoustic study applicable to user interfaces

Drawing on knowledge of psychoacoustics, this acoustic study reveals how certain sound parameters influence users' emotions and perceptions.

In particular, the study shows that therelease time of the sound is a key factor in inducing specific emotions. A longer release time is perceived as more soothing and reassuring, while a shorter one can generate stress or surprise.

Another factor is that variations in pitch and intensity influence how the sound is interpreted in different contexts.

• An ascending melody is mostly perceived as a confirmation or the beginning of an experience.
• A descending melody evokes a cancellation or the end of an experience.

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Sound design and user interfaces: a scientific approach

The originality of this research lies in an in-depth analysis of the psychoacoustic components that make sound intuitive and engaging. By analyzing 30 interface sounds from everyday technological devices, the research team highlighted direct links between acoustic characteristics and their perceived role by users. The sounds can be categorized as follows:

• according to their function (confirmation, notification, cancellation) ;
• according to their place in the user experience (beginning, middle, end).

The aim is to offer companies concrete solutions for optimizing the user interface andsound experience of their products. By collaborating with L'Oréal, Ircam amplify is demonstrating just how fruitful a partnership between a cosmetics brand and an acoustics consult ancy can be. In this way, scientific research can inform and guide the sound design strategy for the Beauty Tech sector.

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A benchmark sound design agency

This scientific publication reinforces Ircam amplify's position as an expert agency in psychoacoustic studies applied to sound design. Ircam amplify thus continues its efforts to make sound design an essential asset in sensory marketing.

With this major step forward, Ircam amplify confirms its role as a key player in the sector, and confirms that scientific innovation is at the heart of its mission.

Would you like to know more about the potential impact of psychoacoustic research on your brand and products? Contact Ircam amplify and add a scientific dimension to your sound design...

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