BBC Sounds Team 👥: Pranjal Choudhary, Mita Chavan, Malavika Mahajan, Kiesha Mundin, Lara Mendoza
Whew, we finally began our second to last project, the UX Micro Unit! I was fortunate enough to work on the BBC Sounds brief, in which we were assigned to design a sonic augmentation for the activities of drawing, canoeing, and baking. Starting off the project, the BBC group started by researching together, as we wanted to pitch ideas and decide on what activities we can focus on. I first focused on researching BBC’s values and mission, so my team and I keep their ethics in mind during the process.
We then broke into smaller groups and decided to focus on the activity of both canoeing and drawing. Our first activity was drawing in a park, in which we played a drawing version of the telephone, and the rest had to guess what the first person was drawing. We also doodled and sketched to investigate and understand the activities around drawing. Afterwards, with Mita’s help, we both created a mind map to visualise and generate ideas, while connecting different concepts together. Mita first created a mind map around drawing, which we found that you can create many sounds from drawing. Drawing can consists of pencil scratching on paper, and how pressure can create different intensities of sound.
Canoe Mind Mapping by Kiesha Mundin
While I created the canoeing mind mapping, one of the main discoveries we found is how canoeing can help build community and bond, and a way to unwind and relax. From there, we created a list of interview questions based on the mind map, while adding questions about BBC Sounds and its content. Our next step was the BBC Canoe team going on an adventure to Richmond Park to canoe and interview the experts. We separated the responsibilities, with Malavika and Pranjal canoeing, and Mita and I interviewing. We were fortunate enough to interview three canoe experts, one being the owner of the canoe company, an instructor, and a member of a kayaking club since the 60s. One of the compelling insights we discovered is how no one liked to listen to music or podcasts. They found the importance of listening to the sound of nature important, as they enjoyed the peacefulness of the experience. All the interviewees also enjoyed listening to BBC Sounds, as they enjoyed the emphasis on public service, diversity, education, and entertainment.
During the feedback, we were suggested to diversify our interviews and also look at the difference between the locals and tourists, and how they view the experience of canoeing. One idea our instructors suggested is an audio guide soundscape experience, in which we can create a sound map “audio as you go” depending on where the users are positioned.
After some discussions, we decided to focus specifically on sound augmentation for drawing, as this was going to be more accessible for the whole team. If I were to continue the canoeing route, I would have liked to create a canoeing experience using various audio scenarios, implementing direct storytelling and nature sounds.
