Is Your Brand Leveraging the Power of Sound? (Part 2)
As the digital world becomes more crowded and customers engage with brands through more platforms—like voice assistants, smart devices, podcasts, and apps—standing out through sound is becoming crucial.
Visual branding alone isn’t enough anymore; sound adds a strong emotional layer to a brand’s identity.
With more interactions happening in audio-focused environments, such as voice search or hands-free devices, having a consistent and memorable sonic presence will be key to building loyalty and improving the user experience. Brands that focus on sonic identity, voice UI, and tailored sound design now will be better prepared to connect with their audiences in the future.
Product Sound Design
*Best for brands that want to improve user interaction through auditory feedback and create a sensory connection through the sounds a product makes during use
Product sound design is the intentional creation of the sounds a product makes during its use. These sounds aren’t random; they’re carefully designed to improve the user experience and reflect the brand’s identity.
For example, the solid sound of a car door closing can signal quality and luxury, while a device’s chime can offer familiarity and comfort.
Consistent, thoughtful product sounds help brands stand out in a crowded market and subtly reinforce their brand values. By focusing on product sound design, brands ensure their products not only perform well but also build an emotional connection with users, making the experience more immersive and memorable.
When to Choose It:
• Enhancing User Interaction: Product sound design is ideal for improving user interaction. Sounds like beeps, chimes, or clicks provide feedback, confirming that the product is responding to actions (e.g., turning on a device, pressing a button).
• Defining the Product’s Sensory Experience: For products that serve as key touchpoints, sound defines a significant part of their sensory appeal. From the satisfying sound of a car door closing to a gentle notification ping, sound enhances the product’s feel and perception.
• Functionality and Feedback: In products where functionality is critical—like home appliances, electronics, or vehicles—sound provides essential feedback, helping users understand when tasks are complete or actions are performed.
Benefits:
• Serves as an intuitive guide, helping users interact more effectively by providing confirmation sounds or alerts that signal completed actions, creating a smoother experience.
• Well-designed sounds create an emotional bond, making the product more enjoyable to use. A premium device’s power-on sound or a successful operation chime enhances the sensory appeal.
• A distinctive sound signature can differentiate a product, adding perceived quality. Thoughtfully crafted sounds contribute to the product’s sense of being advanced or premium.
Considerations:
• Product sounds should align with the brand’s identity and intended experience. For instance, a luxury product may use rich, sophisticated sounds, while a tech product might opt for sleek, futuristic cues.
• Sounds must balance functionality with aesthetic appeal; they should notify or provide feedback while remaining pleasant and non-intrusive, enhancing rather than disrupting the experience.
• Product sounds become part of daily interactions, so they should avoid causing annoyance or fatigue. Subtle, well-integrated sounds fit smoothly into users’ routines while maintaining effectiveness.
Examples I Love:
- Product sound design for BMW by Hans Zimmer and Audi’s Car Sounds are key elements of their auditory identities. Each Audi model comes with its own product sounds, including engine sounds, cues for actions like door open/close, backfire, and acceleration past 120 km/h. Similarly, BMW’s collaboration with Zimmer ensures each model has tailored sounds that enhance the driving experience. The main sound design elements for both brands include engineered sounds for EVs, replacing the silence of electric motors with futuristic, dynamic soundscapes that change with speed and driving modes and pedestrian safety sounds integrated for low-speed driving in EVs, ensuring safety while maintaining the luxurious and refined sound design of Audi and BMW.
- Mayo Clinic is a leader in integrating sound into healthcare, focusing on improving the patient experience. Recognizing that excessive noise can disrupt sleep and slow healing, Mayo Clinic worked with architects to enhance acoustics in their facilities. This included using sound-absorbing materials, sealing walls to reduce sound leakage, and redesigning patient rooms for more privacy and quiet. The main sound design elements include quiet medical equipment like MRI machines and ventilators, which operate with minimal noise to reduce patient anxiety. Acoustic optimization in rooms helps block outside noise, promoting rest and relaxation. Some areas feature soothing soundscapes or soft music to create a calming atmosphere. Gentle sound cues for medical alerts are designed to be noticeable but not harsh. By minimizing noise, Mayo Clinic creates a more peaceful space, helping patients recover more comfortably and supporting overall wellness.
- Apple designs its sounds to provide intuitive feedback, helping users navigate devices without intrusive noise. These sounds also enhance Apple’s brand identity by maintaining consistency across all products. The main sound design elements include the AirPods pairing sound—a quick, futuristic chime that reflects Apple’s sleek brand and confirms connectivity instantly, the iPhone camera shutter sound that mimics a mechanical camera, providing a familiar, satisfying experience, and the iconic Mac startup chime, which signals the device is functioning properly and ready to use. Apple’s sound design is subtle, functional, and instantly recognizable, reinforcing their minimalistic and innovative approach. To find out more, check out They Did What: Apple.
- Dyson is known for its innovative, high-tech products, and their product sound design reflects this. Instead of masking the natural sounds of their machines, Dyson refines and optimizes them to align with their high-performance engineering. The main sound design elements include the Supersonic hair dryer, which produces a smooth, futuristic sound, quieter than traditional models, the low-frequency vacuum cleaner that reduces motor noise while signaling efficient operation, and the air purifier that emits soft, ambient white noise, creating a calming sound that complements its focus on improving air quality.
- Peloton, a leader in connected fitness, uses motivational sound design to enhance the workout experience. The product sounds are designed to be upbeat and interactive, aligning with the brand’s live classes and fitness content. The main sound design elements include milestone sounds, which emit celebratory chimes when users hit fitness goals, providing instant positive reinforcement, and feedback sounds that alert users when they’ve successfully adjusted resistance or met a workout target, using smooth, upbeat sound effects. Peloton’s sound design is key to blending seamlessly with classes, keeping users motivated and making the experience feel interactive and rewarding.
Voice UI (Voice User Interface)
*Best for brands aiming to offer more intuitive, hands-free, and accessible user experiences while staying ahead of trends in voice-driven technology
Voice UI (Voice User Interface) lets users interact with devices, apps, or systems using voice commands, offering a smooth, hands-free experience.
It’s found in everything from general-purpose AI like Amazon Alexa to specialized voice assistants in industries such as healthcare and finance, and even custom voice systems built to match a brand’s identity.
Investing in Voice UI enables brands to create more natural and intuitive interactions with their products, making the user experience more engaging and accessible. As voice technology continues to expand, brands that adopt custom Voice UI can stand out by offering a more personalized and brand-aligned experience, whether at home, in the car, or on the go. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also strengthens the brand’s identity through sound.
When to Choose It:
• Improving Accessibility and Convenience: Voice UI is ideal for brands aiming to provide an easier, more intuitive way for users to interact with products or services. It enhances accessibility by allowing hands-free control, making interactions quicker and more seamless.
• Enhancing User Experience with Conversational Interfaces: For brands seeking natural, conversational interactions, Voice UI creates a personalized, efficient experience, allowing users to engage through spoken commands.
• Future-Proofing: Adopting Voice UI positions brands at the forefront of innovation, aligning with growing demand for voice-driven interactions on platforms like Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant.
Benefits:
• Allows users to control products, apps, or services hands-free, offering convenience for multitasking, smart home devices, and in-car systems where hands-free interaction is essential.
• Improves accessibility for users with disabilities, making devices and services more inclusive and broadening the brand’s appeal.
• Speeds up interactions compared to traditional methods like typing or tapping, streamlining processes such as searching, controlling devices, or making purchases for a more efficient user experience.
Considerations:
• The voice used for the UI should align with the brand’s identity, whether it’s friendly, professional, or authoritative, ensuring it reflects the brand’s personality and resonates with users.
• Ensuring accuracy in Natural Language Processing (NLP) is essential for smooth interactions. The technology must handle a variety of natural language inputs effectively to prevent user frustration.
• Privacy and data security are crucial, as voice interactions may involve capturing personal information. Brands must prioritize security to ensure users feel safe and confident using voice commands.
Examples I Love:
- Amazon’s Alexa is the most recognized example of a voice interface, powering a wide range of smart devices. Through voice commands, users can control home appliances, shop, and access information. Alexa’s natural language processing and integration with third-party apps and services, like smart home devices and Amazon shopping, make it versatile and functional. Amazon regularly updates Alexa to improve its capabilities. By default, Alexa uses a female voice, but users can switch to a male voice (“Ziggy”), or choose celebrity voices like Samuel L. Jackson for specific commands. Brands that have integrated Alexa include BMW, allowing drivers to control vehicle functions and get recommendations through voice commands, enhancing convenience and safety. Marriott partnered with Alexa to offer voice-controlled guest services, letting guests adjust room settings, order amenities, or request concierge services.
- Bank of America’s Erica is a voice-driven virtual assistant that helps users manage their banking tasks. Integrated into the Bank of America app, Erica assists with checking account balances, making payments, providing financial insights, and helping with budgeting. Using advanced AI and natural language processing, Erica offers personalized recommendations and financial advice based on user behavior and transaction history. While not fully bespoke, Erica is highly tailored for the banking environment, enhancing customer engagement and service efficiency. Erica interacts with users through a female voice.
- The BBC developed its own bespoke voice assistant named Beeb, featuring a distinctly British voice and character. Initially launched with a male voice, Beeb now offers options for both male and female voices to promote inclusivity. Beeb helps users navigate BBC content such as TV shows, radio, and news, providing a distinctly “BBC” experience that reflects the broadcaster’s tone, language, and cultural relevance. This allows the BBC to maintain brand consistency and a closer connection with its audience, rather than relying on external platforms like Alexa.
Product sound design and voice UI are important aspects that improve user experiences and strengthen brand identity.
By creating thoughtful sounds for their products and interfaces, brands can make interactions more engaging and memorable. Whether it’s the calming noises of a device or helpful audio cues in voice interfaces, these elements help brands connect emotionally with customers.
In today’s sound-driven world, effectively using these strategies is essential for standing out and making a lasting impact.
If you’re eager to explore further how sound can transform brand experiences, continue to Immersive Sound, where I’ll investigate how sound can create unique, engaging atmospheres that captivate your audience.