It sounds sustainable: practices in designing sound for sustainability

Abstract

Design for sustainability has received significant attention in the past years. Starting from green design, the focus gradually shifted towards eco-design, the circular economy, and sustainable development. Meanwhile, design for pro-environmental behavior highlighted the importance of designing for a sustainable use phase of products. Sound design encompasses several practices such as in sound for film, radio and podcasting, sound for interaction and games, and product sound design. Sound is an important element of any experience and can convey several emotional and aesthetic product qualities. The relationship between designing sound and designing for sustainability, however, has not received much attention. Motivated by this, we review here situations in which sound design has been used when designing for sustainability or sustainable behavior. Subsequently, we relate this to the broader perspectives offered by design for sustainability and identify opportunities for cross-fertilization between the two fields.