During a recent discussion about sound design, I had an opportunity to reconsider a fundamental question: why is sound design necessary in the first place?
As a premise, I believe that product sound is rarely the primary reason for purchase, except in special cases.
There are examples such as the Ford Mustang Bullitt, where the engine sound itself becomes part of the product value and contributes to the reason for purchase. However, such cases are rather exceptional.
In general, when people choose a car, the main reasons are performance, design, price, functionality, brand, and other factors. It is uncommon for a purchase decision to be made based on product sound alone.
So, is sound design merely an added value?
I feel somewhat uncomfortable with that expression.
It is true that sound is not the product itself. It is not a core functional component such as an engine, motor, or battery. However, that does not mean it is merely an accessory.
Imagine a silent film.
Even if the visuals themselves remain, when the music and sound effects are removed, much of the emotion and worldview that the work is trying to convey is lost.
Sound in products plays a similar role.
In recent years, manufacturers such as Hyundai and BMW have increasingly communicated sound through various media. I believe this is not simply because they want people to hear the sound itself, but because sound is recognized as an effective means of conveying brand philosophy, innovation, and product concepts.
With the arrival of the EV era, this tendency has become even stronger.
As naturally occurring engine sounds disappear, the importance of intentionally designed sounds such as AVAS and ASD is increasing.
Sound is changing from a byproduct of machinery into an object of design.
Sound as One Piece of the Jigsaw Puzzle
As interesting examples in automotive sound development, I would like to mention the Ford Mustang Bullitt and Honda S+ Shift.
In the Mustang Bullitt, the engine sound itself functions as part of the product value.
The Power of Sound Marketing: Connecting Movies and Reality Through Engine Sounds – Bullitt
On the other hand, Honda S+ Shift is not completed by sound alone. It becomes a complete experience by connecting sound with the feeling of acceleration, shift presentation, and the driver’s sense of operation.
Honda S+ Shift introduction: https://global.honda/en/tech/honda_s_plus_shift
When I experienced Honda S+ Shift myself, I felt that the “driving experience through the five senses” and “sound” were successfully connected, as if the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle had fallen into place.
Sound alone is not enough.
Acceleration alone is not enough.
A complete experience is created when visual perception, operation feel, bodily sensation, and sound overlap with one another.
This is also why I think of sound design as “one piece of the jigsaw puzzle that completes a product.”
A product cannot be established by sound alone. However, when that one piece is missing, the entire experience can feel incomplete.
I feel that Honda S+ Shift is one good example of that piece fitting into place successfully.
What Is Sound Design?
In that sense, sound design is not simply the act of creating sounds.
I see it as the act of translating a product concept or brand philosophy into an experience that people can perceive.
What is sportiness?
What is innovation?
What is reassurance?
What is environmental performance?
Sound is one medium for transforming such invisible values into a form that people can experience.
In recent years, I have been organizing this relationship between humans, AI, and sound through the concepts of AI-SQ Engineering and Creative Sound Design.
AI analyzes what kinds of sounds people perceive as favorable.
Humans then use those results to design concepts and meanings.
People evaluate the outcome again, and new value is created.
Even in the age of AI, I do not believe that the role of sound design will disappear.
Rather, the questions of what humans want to express and what kind of experience they want to create will become more important than ever.
Sound design may not be the primary reason for purchase.
However, it is an important piece of the jigsaw puzzle that completes a product, and it is a technology for translating a product’s worldview and philosophy into an experience.
That is how I see sound design today.
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