Prepared by: Jonathan Hung and Justin Obara
Additional input from Colin Clark.
Prototypes Analyzed
- http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/dev/html/john-travoltage/1.3.0-dev.2/john-travoltage_en.html?sonification=1
- http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/dev/html/john-travoltage/1.3.0-dev.2/john-travoltage_en.html?sonification=2
- http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/dev/html/john-travoltage/1.3.0-dev.2/john-travoltage_en.html?sonification=3
- http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/dev/html/john-travoltage/1.3.0-dev.2/john-travoltage_en.html?sonification=4
Recommendations
With all the possibile sounds playing, the experience can get confusing. The user may be caught trying to interpret meanings of the audio cues, all the while trying to figure out the learning goals.
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Removing the hand-doorknob proximity sonification.
The sonification could be confusing - is the sound indicating something being emitted - like an energy field or a beam?
The sonification information is redundant - the position of the hand is already reported by the scene description, as well as read back when interacting with the hand position slider.
This sonification can be brought back as an option in later iterations if it’s pedagogically interesting.
Change the “charge quantity” sonification to be more “ambient” and “rounder”
Have a tone play continuously in the background like ambiance if charges are present.
Timber to be “rounder” in effect - easier to listen to, not hard on the ears.
Inspiration (videos): Osmos iPad game, Brian Eno’s Bloom app.
Perhaps start with something like the sound in sonification=4.
Remove the bonk sound at either end of the foot range.
This could be misinterpreted as an event occurring in the sim (i.e. the foot has kicked the door knob).
For sighted users it’s clear the foot doesn’t move anymore, and for screen reader users the screen reader will report they have reached either end.
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Sound on headphones is noticeably louder than on computer speakers. Perhaps audio should be designed for headphone usage first since headphones generally have less control for volume.
The foot brushing sound could be a bit sharper and more defined. Perhaps the sound of a broom brush? Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdi3Rz_uc4Q
The charge acquired sound has a little “tick” at the end. On some speakers (i.e. laptop speakers) it comes across loudly like someone is unplugging / jiggling the speaker connector.
The “ZAP” sound during discharge is hidden amoung other sounds of the sim. This should be more prominent by making it louder or by fading other sounds.
The brushing sound could be an issue for small movements (i.e. a keyboard user or small mouse movement).
Should we play just a short sound for small changes? If so how would it sound if several small changes were chained together (i.e. continuous increment key presses or small mouse movements).
John Travoltage Sonification Notes
1.3.0-dev.2 v1
Leg movement
Electron rattling sound can be ambiguous:
Could sound like something moving (ie. objects on a conveyor belt), or something with mass.
Sound keeps rattling even when the electrons aren’t visually moving
Volume of rattling sound on headphones is loud, but seem acceptable with stand-alone speakers tested.
Extreme end beep
sounds like a confirmation for an action. Mixed message.
If you move the leg quickly it sounds like you’re getting points for kicking the door knob.
If you are using keyboard shortcut to move from one end of the other, you would get bonking noises - could this be confusing?
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Couldn’t hear the decreasing pitch of electrons leaving the body.
1.3.0-dev.2 v2
Charge Level
60 Hz sound is a bit intense, especially when charges are at maximum
When the 60 Hz volume increases, it gets increasingly hard to hear the sounds of the electrons and the foot rub
If you are non-visual, Increasing volume of 60Hz could be interpreted as getting closer to a sound source
60 Hz may also be interpreted as static from the speaker.
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With keyboard movement of the foot, the position change can be quite slight what should be done in this case?
It doesn’t make sense to play a full brushing sound if the position changed by 1 increment.
If you play a short sound for each increment, how does it sound if the user presses the keyboard quickly?
The foot brushing sound could be a bit more distinct and light. Example: consider this sound of a broom brushing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdi3Rz_uc4Q)
Arm movement
When arm is moving with charges at maximum, the sound is intense.
1.3.0-dev.2 v3
Arm movement
Prefer the this lack of warble effect (compared to Sonification=2). Gives less of an impression of “emitting something”
Can be hard to hear the arm movement when there is a larger buildup of electrons
1.3.0-dev.2 v4
Like the puslating quality when charges are present. Use a similar sound for indicating presence of chagres in the redesign from “charge quantity” to “charge presence”.
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