unity-design team mailing list archive

[Jim Rorie <jfrorie@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 2010-04-15 at 08:40 +0100, Mark Shuttleworth wrote:
> Authors discussed how artificial subtle expressions, simple and
> low-cost 
> expressions like beeping sounds or blinking LEDs, could convey the 
> internal states of artifacts to users like non verbal information.  

Part of my particular push toward the sound themes.  I termed it
accessibility, but it applies to typical user as well.  Sounds are very
non intrusive form of notification(if done well) and ingrain deeply in
our psyche. Ask Pavlov's mutt.

New mail notifications signal events same as the device
connected/disconnected sounds that we all are very familiar with.
State type information that Charlene is referring to would be something
novel like the musical pitch of the entire sound theme could being
lowered by an octave as battery power drains to a critical level.
Something easily done with a DFT audio processing routine. 

An opposite increase in octave could signal another type of UP mode.  If
your were working with midi material, you might shift the audio to a
minor key to signal yet another perhaps negative state. (Minor keys have
a lot of dissonance, they sound sad when played) 

Intensity can be played with for notifications from important contacts
either through amplitude to speeding up the track.  A little stronger
for emails from mom.


> In 
> user testing, they found that people could read emotions in sounds
> and 
> could decode sound according to their pitch, duration and intensity. 

LOL.  I think Mozart figured that out a few centuries ago. :)