▸ A field guide from the book Sonic UX (MIT Press)

Design methods for everything you hear.

Questions to ask about sound — and the methods to answer them. A companion toolkit to Sonic UX: The Science of Sound in User Experience Research.

In the book — chapter & section references inside each card Speculative — new methods in progress at the lab
00:00 QUESTIONS01:10 DISCOVER02:20 DECIDE03:15 MAKE04:10 VALIDATE05:30 FUNDAMENTALS
TRK 00

Start with a question

Research starts from the questions, not the methods
TRK 01

Discover

Listen first
Understand your users, their context, and what sound already does in their world — before designing anything.
TRK 02

Decide

Frame & plan
Formulate the right questions, choose the right test, recruit the right listeners, and design a protocol that won't bend your data.
TRK 03

Make

Sketch in sound
Prototype sonic ideas fast — with references, your voice, props, and video — before committing to production.
TRK 04

Validate

Measure, don't guess
Subjective measurement methods — from paired comparisons to descriptive analysis — plus psychophysiological measures for what listeners can't self-report.
TRK 05

Fundamentals

Ground rules
Accessibility, cultural sensitivity, team building, stakeholder communication, and honest analysis — the groundwork under every method.