SoundSense
Preserving Physical Music Through Vibrations
Role
Research, UX/UI Design
Scope
Fall 2024 - Capstone
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Blender
Contributors
Alexander Bereck (Blender)
Finding Inspiration Through Film
After watching The Sound of Metal, a story about a musician losing his hearing and having to experience sound through cochlear implants, I noticed a disparity.
How can those who have hearing loss from birth or later in life enjoy music?
I found several assistive listening devices for the hearing loss community, so my focus shifted.
The Difficulty With Physical Music
There is little to no access for people in the deaf community to engage with and experience physical music.
During COVID-19, physical music sales surged as people sought to collect vinyl, cassettes, and special editions for tangible and nostalgic connections.
How To Get More People Feeling The Music
Develop a tactile prototype that coincides with an app designed for those in the hearing loss community to enjoy music through sensory touch.
Through user interviews and testing, I identified the most inclusive and effective ways to approach the gap in music accessibility.
Preliminary Insights From The Users
I conducted 5 user interviews with people aged 18 to 55 with a range of hearing loss. I was given insight into what they experience, want, and need from a new assistive device.
The Physical Product: A Different Kind Of Speaker
The speaker was the most common choice among my interviewees. It was essential that the product would not be medical equipment and would fit into their existing spaces. Maintaining its functionality and appearance.
After researching different speakers, such as bone conduction and subwoofer, I found the best way to approach this prototype's design.
Vibrations Instead of Lyrics
SoundSense would use advanced vibration transducers to convert audio signals into precise haptic feedback. The system picks up audio signals from external sources, i.e. record, CD, cassette player, DJ controller, etc.
To maintain the synchronization with the music's rhythm and intensity, the signal processing unit translates the audio input into vibration patterns.
Ultimately bridging the gap between audio and tactile perception.
Ideation: Speaker Sketches
The sketches below blend modern and vintage components, ultimately creating an aesthetically pleasing design.
Final Design: A New Speaker
The Digital Product: App
After looking at the interviewee's assistive devices apps, I approached the app with better ideas on how it should look and function.
Ideation: Lo-Fi Sketches
Developed similar interfaces to other assistive device apps that offer key features that are intuitive and accessible.
The sketches below show my thought process on implementing the best experience for musicgoers with hearing loss.
Development: Mid-Fi Sketches
Starting to focus more on customization of vibrations and the experience with lyrics.
These wireframes incorporate functional and aesthetic features such as soundboard volume sliders, soundwaves, and lyric integration powered by Musixmatch.
Final Design
SoundSense is a personalized sensory experience where users can adjust vibration volume and intensity through different presets. The app provides lyrics, similar to karaoke, played in real-time, allowing users to engage.
User-Centered Design
After multiple interviews, it was clear that people with hearing loss wanted an app and a device that was catered to their needs but unobtrusive to others.
The goal was to provide a simple and familiar interface while implementing music-centric features. This is where the modes and equalizer settings allow for personalizing the user's listening experience.
Follow Along With Musixmatch Lyrics
Imported lyrics page from the largest lyrics catalog in the world, Musixmatch. Play your favorite song lyrics straight from the app.
What I learned
Throughout the 4 months I worked on this project, I learned that collaboration is the key to success. The feedback I incorporated from user interviews has been invaluable to ensure that the project is functional and meaningful.
I appreciate all I learned from this capstone course.
