Sonic UX: The Science of Sound in User Experience Research

The science behind sound’s influence on user perception and emotion—and how to design, evaluate, and enhance sound-driven experiences across diverse products and interfaces.

Most user experience (UX) research prioritizes what users see and touch—but what about what they hear? Sound is a powerful, often overlooked layer of user experience, shaping perception, emotion, and behavior in ways users may not even realize. In Sonic UX, KC Collins offers UX researchers—both practitioners and academics—a comprehensive introduction to understanding how sound influences a user’s product perceptions, emotion and cognition.

The book delves into sound’s role in user experience research as an element of sensory design, exploring the unique challenges posed by sound in product design. Drawing on decades of consulting and research in sound, the book answers what questions UX researchers should be asking when it comes to sound, along with how to approach testing these questions—from the importance of testing locations to the technologies and methods used. Backed by the latest scientific studies and sensory research, the book details the many factors influencing the ways sound influences emotional and perceptual responses to software and hardware products, advertising and branding, and even product packaging.

KC Collins is Associate Professor in the School of Information Technology at Carleton University, Canada. She is the author of Game Sound, Studying Sound, and Playing with Sound (all MIT Press).