Designers often struggle to insert sound efficiently into web design. It can be challenging to implement audio features effectively and productively. When sound justifies its purpose and leaves users aware of our aim, the audio function is a powerful feature that contributes good user experience. Today, a web design Chicago will dedicate its post to exploring ways you can impart sound into your website and boost user experience. Additionally, presenting audio`s advantageous properties might encourage you to welcome this feature as the edition to your website.
Audio is usually a website instrument of feedback mechanism in users’ interaction.
When applying audio to the website, these are the things worth considering:
Choosing the type of audio
Choosing the right type of sound can be challenging. The sound must be appropriate and effectively represent action. You can choose between the sound that has words occasionally called prompts, or the non-word sound known as “earcons”.
Earcons function through the suggestion to users to intuitively perceive what it means. Earcons rely on social conventions such as applause for approval, nomic physical representations such as a door slamming sound, and metaphoric mapping like a falling tone for dropping objects. With good mapping, earcon is easier to learn and remember. Earcons take advantage form the preceding correlation enabling users to connect sound with meaning with least or no practice.
Creating the right sound includes duration, volume, pitch, timbre, and other attributes.
Sound in content
Both earcons and prompts demand to be correlated with the physical and emotional side of the content. Designing audio instructions and information requires considering factors:
- keep in the mind experience level of the users. Tailor the audio experience for inexperienced users and abbreviate prompts for expert users.
- sound can be a secondary instrument or unneeded if users rely on visual feedback when completing tasks. For such interactions, the sound should be adjusted to play less or different audio. Recognizing where the device is concerning the user can be accomplished with proper sensors, accelerometers, or distributed from how the interaction was established. A good example of copious audio feedback in its essential role is Siri for iPhone 4s. Interaction with Siri is crucial when the user’s phone is not available for visual feedback due to the Bluetooth headset application.
- The current state of the device can be relevant in certain situations, in such situations audio can indicate the proximity or engagement degree of the user. The sound is important in GPS devices providing information about whatever the user is driving, whether is it near turning, et cetera.
- An example of effective sound implementation is audio interaction within games while auto-play background music is mostly considered a mishit.
The occurrence of impractical use of audio
Designs ofter consider the situation where implementation of sound is useful but there are circumstances where sound is unnecessarily or even senseless. On some occasions, alerts or unexpectedly loud information can be alarming or shocking. Provide users control over informing messages. Give the user an option in settings to determine whatever they want to play this type of audio information automatically when connected to a Bluetooth headset, always, never, and volume adjustment.
Consider the tone of the sound
There is plenty of material about voice recognition and the web design of users interface. Voice sound should consider particular tone, pace and grounding should be in alliance with occasion and matter of information in terms to provide a clear, understandable, and along the appropriate manner.
- apply the language that users understand by avoiding jargon, lingo, and technical terms familiar dor experts or companies but not to the average user.
- provide user sufficient information without overloading
- adjust the number and time of audio length by needs. Adapt the time for users to read, process, and select audio content.
- in situations when users have to make a choice, the finest results are provided when the menu option emerges before the action. For instance, for a certain action press a particular number, or “for y press x”…
Prompts or TTS
When imposing audio, designers determine whether they prefer a prerecorded actor’s voice or text-to-speech (TTS) solutions. The advantages of prerecorded voice are naturalness in sound contrary to TTS which might sound very robotic, which makes many designers avoid the second type of audio.
In recording prompts with the actor select the one in which voice sound comprehends the brands and experience.
Reward users
A popular feature in assuring users’ return is gamification. Gamification refers to the application of gaming elements in a non-game environment with the purpose to engage users and provide information about the users and their behavior to the company. Completing various tasks users get reword with badges, points, or product discounts. Awarding an accomplished mission sound boosts the sense of fulfillment. The short and pleasant sound should produce smiles and satisfaction in loyal users.
Enhance Accessibility
Sound can significantly improve accessibility for users with visual disabilities. A good example of such is a text-based captcha with audio alternatives. Another sample of a good application of sound is in eCommerce where voice offers the option in product selection, for instance, reading out variations of colors. Sound is a very useful form for people with poor vision. Implementation of appropriate sound when visually impaired people click on a button or drag on the slider is a useful aspect of skeuomorphism. Skeuomorphism refers to a design principle in which design cues are taken from the physical world.
Music implementation
Music that has a certain vibe that meets the nature of the website can provide an emotional connection and a positive impression on users. Also, product demonstration paired with suitable music leads to increased sale outcome. Uplifting, inspiring, and motivational sound that adds personality is a great choice for background music, company videos, demos, and presentations.
Contributes the storytelling
Storytelling is a popular way of brand and product presentation and has become a quiet artwork. This form demands sound to contribute to the overall experience. Sound adds to the scene for example in a story related to a sea, the sound of waves approximates the feeling of experiencing the ocean.
Alerts and notification
Audio notifications and alerts are particularly useful in chat conversations. Another importance of sound is when users are waiting for information or have to pay attention to message deliverance. In such cases, the sound is a very effective and appreciated feature.
Recommendations are to impart short sound, preferably less than a second or half a second preferable.
Actual sound players
Integration of sound in current is available by Web Audio API and HTML5. HTML5 provides an audio player while JavaScript is more functional and comprehensive. JavaScript is supported by major browsers such as Google, Opera, Firefox, and others.
Final thoughts
The essence of audio in design is to enhance users’ experience and not distract or interfere. Sound can be detrimental for UI if unproperly set. Hopefully, our post has cleared up issues regarding audio and helps you successfully impart sound to the design structure.
