Towards a framework of aesthetics in sonic interaction

Abstract

As interaction design has advanced, increased attention has been directed to the role that aesthetics play in shaping factors of user experience. Historically stemming from philosophy and the arts, aesthetics in interaction design has gravitated towards visual aspects of interface design thus far, with sonic aesthetics being underrepresented. This article defines and describes key dimensions of sonic aesthetics by drawing upon the literature and the authors’ experiences as practitioners and researchers. A framework is presented for discussion and evaluation, which incorporates aspects of classical and expressive aesthetics. These aspects of aesthetics are linked to low-level audio features, contextual factors, and user- centred experiences. It is intended that this initial framework will serve as a lens for the design, and appraisal, of sounds in interaction scenarios and that it can be iterated upon in the future through experience and empirical research.