Sonic Design | Project 1

Sonic Design | Project 1

June 2, 2025

ZHANG XINYUE | 0369868

Sonic Design | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Interactive Spatial Design

Project 1 | Auditory Imaging (Week5-Week7)

Assignment Description ：

For this assignment, we are required to choose one of the six given scenarios — or propose our own — and create a descriptive storyline from a first-person point of view.  This storyline will serve as the foundation for designing a soundscape that conveys a sense of space, movement, and atmosphere purely through sound.

The 6 given scenarios are:

1. Wildlife + Background

2. Everyday Home Life + Background

3. Cities + Transport + Exterior Atmosphere

4. Industry and Electronic Sounds + Background

5. Weather + Background

6. Market + Rural Atmosphere + Background

Storyline ：

Fig 1.1 Written storyline based on Wildlife scenario

List of sound effects:

Scene 1: Arriving at the Campsite

· footsteps on leaves

· ambient forest

· place the material

Scene 2: Lighting the Campfire

· lighter click

· firewood crackling

· ambient voice

Scene 3: Settling into the Night

· ambient voice

· chat with friends

Scene 4: Deep Night Atmosphere

· fire crackling

· insect ambience

· wind through trees

· squirrel through the bushes

Process ：

First, I downloaded all the required sound effects and organized them into a dedicated folder. Then, I imported all audio files into Adobe Audition’s Multitrack session and arranged the clips based on the storyline.

Fig 2.1 A dedicated folder for audio

Fig 2.2 Arrangement of the clips

I layered the background ambience on top of the tracks and organized other clips based on their function and timing. Footsteps were mostly placed on Track 6 and below. I used track automation for volume and panning control, and clip automation when I might move the clips later. I also added fade-in and fade-out effects to most audio tracks for smooth transitions.

Fig 2.1 Audio layers and effects in Adobe Audition

After receiving feedback from Mr. Razif, I adjusted the pitch of certain audio clips, replaced some noisy sound effects, and refined the volume automation curves and crossfade areas to ensure smoother transitions.    I also enhanced the high-frequency clarity of the bird sounds using EQ and added reverb, making the ambient sound better aligned with the storyline.

Fig 3.1 Reverb creates sound space

By adjusting the audio envelope, I gradually decreased the volume of the bird calls over time, creating a sense of spatial retreat the human voice, thereby enhancing the overall spatial depth.

Fig 3.2 adjusting the audio envelope

First Attempt ：

Final Submission ：