GDC 2025 Session Viewer
What Was That Noise?! Creative UI Sound Design with Intention
Jonathan Bell (Sound Designer, Formosa Interactive UK)
Location: Room 3024, West Hall
Date: Friday, March 21
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass, Audio Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Audio
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All
Designing UI audio can often be an abstract concept; it can sound like anything, there are almost no rules, and it can be very easy to either under design or over design the audio. It is easy to fall back on overused tropes, and oftentimes UI audio can be designed without considering the intention and information being conveyed to the player. Using UX design concepts, exploring ideas on how to design sound with intention and then investigating how to add character to the UI audio design itself, with real world examples from released games, this talk aims to explore ways in which to navigate the difficult task of designing UI audio that is interesting to listen to, functional and easy to understand for the player in order to successfully design UI audio that is both creative and intentional.
Takeaway
Key take aways from this session will be a set of tools to use when crafting informative and creative UI audio design in order to both serve the player and help create an overall richer audio experience.
Intended Audience
This talk is aimed at anyone from a sound or UI department in game development and any sound designers looking to improve their UI sound design skills.