Designing with Sound

Chapter 5. Sound and Brand

A SONIC TRADEMARK IS a relatively short piece of audio that does for your sound brand what a visual trademark does for your visual identity: it serves as a single, memorable reference point that gives customers something to grab onto when thinking about your product or brand. For dipping your foot into these audio logos, few places are better to start than by watching Wired’s video, “The Psychology Behind the World’s Most Recognizable Sounds.”¹ Here, sound designers explain the effect of some of the most familiar digital sounds on us, including startup sounds, ringtones, and audio logos.

The boink-spoosh of Skype starting up is a good example. It is probably the first thing you think of when asked what Skype “sounds” like, but Skype also makes lots of other sounds that reflect a similarly playful mood. Further, part of Skype’s “sound” comes from the technical methods it uses to compress human voice.

But note that a sound trademark is a subset of the auditory brand experience, not its entirety. Take the Macintosh, for example: the rich, warm chord it plays upon startup might be the most memorable part of its sound experience, but there is also the fan sound, the sound of the mouse and keyboard, and the sound quality that is shaped by the particular speakers hardwired into the machine. All of these elements come together to create a unique soundscape that aligns with the visual and interactive components of the brand.

Whether or not you attempt to design ...