Client
Self
Duration
4 Weeks
Year
2024
Collaborators
Henning Birgersson
Samuel Nagel
Sander Randoja
CHIME
In tune with nature
Background
Exploring sound, interaction and form.
A speculative design project, in collaboration with experience design students at UID focusing on the role of sound design.
Goal
Our goal was to create an experience that can bring you close to Nature.
Recognition
Runner-Up in the Speculative Design category at the 2025 Core77 Design Awards.
"How can we encourage people to spend more time in nature and strengthen their connection with it?"
Our concept’s foundation was led by two beautiful metaphors;
First being a Wind chime, an instrument made by humans but played by nature. It acts as a medium to translate the flow of wind/breeze into a soothing melody.
Secondly, a Polaroid, tangible piece of memory. limited in numbers so you take a pause and wait for a right moment before you capture.
The aim was to create a bond between a human and nature through sounds and vibrations
Connecting to Nature through Data Sonification
Chime is a conceptual sound experience consisting of a set of near-future artifacts that enable people to connect with nature through data sonification.
Wander into nature with your device.
Listen to the data of your surroundings.
Preserve the moments that resonate with you on the memory disc.
Revisit your past journeys through their captured soundscapes.
The Artifacts
The Collector
The Collector is a handheld recording device that converts extracted data into live sound signatures. Holding the record button stores the sensed sound onto the disc in real time.
Sensor Rings
Sensors worn on your fingers captures data such as pH, bioelectrical signals, and moisture levels from the elements of nature you grace with your hand. This data is transmitted to the Collector in real time.
The Composer
Later at home, you can relive your journey through the Composer, a playback device that weaves the collected sounds into an ambient soundscapes.
Memory
Drawing from the tangible experience of the Polaroid camera, physical memory discs are used to store the extracted sonified data. Its limited storage capacity encourages you to choose your sounds carefully, resulting in a thoughtful collection that reflects your journey through nature.
↑ Mark the disc with the location where the sounds were recorded, the date, or any other meaningful detail.
Interactions
Interactions with the device are simple, lowering the cognitive load while in nature
Data-to-Sound Translation
Due to the ambiguity of the sonified data, it is not explicitly indicated whether the data is “good” or “bad.” Instead, you must actively listen, compare sounds, and draw your own conclusions, fostering a deeper, more intuitive understanding of your environment. A thriving plant produces more sound than a wilting one due to stronger bioelectrical signals. The river’s pH level influences pitch, with higher acidity producing a higher pitch, while the current determines the tempo.
↑ As shown above a thriving plant produces more sound than a wilting one due to stronger bioelectrical signals.
• • •
Process Pictures.
With this amazing Team ;)
