Globe.FM

Project Overview

Sound plays a big role in how we perceive the world. Sound helps us understand and connect experiences. Sounds can trigger memories, impact our mood and spark imagination. We wondered if we could design a product that would let you experience sound in a new way. We used the metaphor of a radio to design an interaction through which you could explore the sounds of the world. Live sounds of places from all over the globe. Imagine how you could be transported to the Cambodian rainforest, a Sicilian beach, or even a busy market street in India.

February 2021
2.5 Weeks Execution Time
Sound Design Project
Umeå Institute of Design

Teammates
   Linda - MFA Interaction Design
   Barbara - MFA Interaction Design
   Alexander- MFA Interaction Design

What is Globe.FM about?

1. Relaxation: Providing ambient sounds that make people calm.
2. Imagination: Spark imagination into what places around the world are like.
3. Curiosity: Trigger curiosity to explore more areas.

How does it work?

1. Browse

turn the globe to choose a specific area

2. Select

double tap the globe control to zoom in to that area

3. Explore

explore what sounds this area of the world has by moving around on the soundmap

PROCESS

In this project we were challenged to conceptualize a design that relies upon sound as the main feature. In the first stages of this project we evaluated what role sound plays in our own lives and how we could design an interesting interaction that could add sound to people’s lives in a meaningful way.
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The concept of a radio quickly piqued our interest. Radio plays a different role in our lives than music streaming services. Radio sound is more ambient, more passive and it allows us to tune into different channels to find the station that meets our needs. The radio was chosen as both a metaphor and form inspiration for this project.

Conceptualization

In the team, the idea of ‘sounds of the world’ was also proposed. It is easy to see what places around the world look like by simply typing into the Google image search bar, but listening to what places sound like is not that easy. We realized that we would love to be able to relive memories of places through sound. Even being able to listen to the sound of places we have never been, seemed exciting to us. The concept of using a radio to travel the world through sound was born.

Once the scope of the concept was set we started to explore how we wanted to realize this vision. We explored the form of the radio itself.

Exploration

We dove into the possible interactions with this device.

We explored the form of visuals on the screen on the front of the radio would support and enhance the interaction.

And we explored the design of the sounds that would be present during the interaction with the design. For this we used Vital synthesizer software, Adobe Audition and recorded sounds ourselves to create the most interesting experience.

Due to the short execution time of this project we had to divide the work among the team members. However, we did manage to all choose a specific skill or expertise we wanted to further develop in this project.

Developing own expertise

I personally took the opportunity to refresh and develop my programming skills. I worked with Arduino and Processing to develop a working interactive prototype.
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This interactive prototype would be ideal for on site user testing, but due to COVID-19 restrictions this was not realistic. Instead we utilized this prototype to test features of the final concept.

By turning the knobs you would move across the x and y-axis.

By using this prototype, we, ourselves, explored what the interaction would feel like. We played with variables and tested various speeds of movement based on speeds of interaction. We explored what directions of movement were most natural based on the direction of the interaction and we tested what it would sound like if you would tune into a different area on the map. Building a prototype that works in real-time helped tweak these features and understand what the experience of the user would be in reality.
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Besides this I took the opportunity to get more familiar with sound design. I had never really considered the sounds of my designs and was surprised by the impact good sound design can have. The tutors we collaborated with in this project were very inspiring.

All the elements came together into a concept we call globe.fm. This is a radio that lets you tune into the live sounds from places all around the globe.

Final concept

To turn it on, the user slides the antenna up. Then the user grabs onto the green ball on top of the device. Turing this ball turns the globe on the screen.
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Once a region is chosen the user double taps on the sphere to zoom into that specific area. A sound map then appears. Each colored spot represents a live sound that you can listen to. The colors all correspond to a specific type of sound.
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Turning the sphere lets you explore the sound map by moving to different colored areas. This way you can tune into various live sounds from all over the world.
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The final radio would then look something like this

Besides learning how powerful sound design can be, I have a few personal insights I gained from this project.

Firstly, this project showed me that even when you are in a high-pressure, time-constrained project, there is always a way to develop your personal skills and abilities. If you can find a way to grow in the direction you want to grow in a project, you will not just deliver good work for a client (since you are motivated by your own desire to grow), but you will also work towards developing yourself as a professional.
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Secondly, the team in which I did this project consisted of four people with strong personalities. Before starting this project, I was hesitant and a little scared that this would result in conflict, but it didn’t. I felt we kept each other on our toes and pushed each other even further. There were intense discussions but by implementing the reflective skills I had built over the past years I was able to navigate those. None of us were scared to speak our minds and we could all handle constructive criticism.

One learning point that is very specific to me individually is that I have to be careful not to get lost in the ambitious mindset. Working more and working harder is not always the solution and sometimes I lose sight of this when the people around me are as (or even more) ambitious as I am. I am learning when it is time to take a step back and take care of myself and my mind. I personally benefit from this a lot and I am convinced that this improves the work I deliver as well.

GLOBE.FM

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