Press Play to Feel: Rethinking the Role of Sound in Interaction

Abstract


Introduction: Sound plays a central role in immersion, narrative, and well-being, yet it is often conceived and evaluated in isolation in HCI. Objective: This paper argues for treating sound with the same rigor as other interaction elements, aligned with Grand Challenge 1 of GranDIHC 2025–2035. Methodology: We propose the development of approaches that integrate design and evaluation, considering technical, emotional, sensory, and cultural aspects in a systematic way. Expected Results: The adoption of such approaches is expected to foster methodologies and practices that reposition sound as a central and coordinated element in HCI.
Keywords: Sound, Design, Evaluation, User Experience (UX), Accessibility

References

Altavilla, A. (2018). Designing from listening: embodied experience and sonic interactions. PhD thesis, Goldsmiths, University of London.

Bem, M. J. (2023). Effects of sounds on the visitors’ experience in museums. Master’s thesis, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

BRASIL (2018). Lei geral de proteção de dados pessoais (LGPD). Disponível em: [link]. Lei n. 13.709, de 14 de agosto de 2018. Acesso em: 25 ago. 2025.

Calvo, R. A. e Peters, D. (2014). Positive computing: technology for wellbeing and human potential. MIT Press.

Csapó, Á. e Wersényi, G. (2013). Overview of auditory representations in human-machine interfaces. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 46(2):1–23.

da Silva Junior, D. P., Alves, D. D., Carneiro, N., Matos, E. d. S., Baranauskas, M. C. C., e Mendoza, Y. L. M. (2024). GranDIHC-BR 2025-2035 GC1: New theoretical and methodological approaches in HCI. In Proceedings of the XXIII Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1–31.

Ferguson, A., Castellanos, C., e Pasquier, P. (2023). Digital music interventions for stress with bio-sensing: a survey. Frontiers in Computer Science, 5:1165355.

Finnigan, K. A. (2024). Sensory responsive environments: A qualitative study on perceived relationships between outdoor built environments and sensory sensitivities. Land, 13(5):636.

Li, Y., Finch, S., Sweany, N. W., e Kwok, O.-M. (2022). Exploring sound use in embodied interaction to facilitate learning in a digital environment. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 11(4):155–169.

Luo, J., Wang, M., e Chen, L. (2021). The effects of using a nature-sound mobile application on psychological well-being and cognitive performance among university students. Frontiers in Psychology, 12:699908.

Nam, Y. (2013). An empirical analysis of auditory interfaces in human-computer interaction. International Journal of Contents, 9(3):29–34.

Nunes, C. e Darin, T. (2024). Echoes of player experience: A literature review on audio assessment and player experience in games. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 8(CHI PLAY):1–27.

Nunes, C., Reinbold, I., Castro, M., e Darin, T. (2024). Thunder: a design process to build emotionally engaging music visualizations. In Proceedings of the XXIII Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1–15.

Pereira, R., Darin, T., e Silveira, M. S. (2024). GranDIHC-BR: Grand research challenges in human-computer interaction in Brazil for 2025-2035. In Proceedings of the XXIII Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1–24.

Rocchesso, D., Serafin, S., Behrendt, F., Bernardini, N., Bresin, R., Eckel, G., Franinovic, K., Hermann, T., Pauletto, S., Susini, P., et al. (2008). Sonic interaction design: sound, information and experience. In CHI’08 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 3969–3972.

Zhan, Y. (2023). Beyond technology: Factors influencing the effects of teachers’ audio feedback on students’ project-based learning. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 32(1):91–103.
Published
2025-09-08
NUNES, Caio; CRUZ, Georgia; DARIN, Ticianne. Press Play to Feel: Rethinking the Role of Sound in Interaction. In: POSITION PAPERS - GRANDIHCBR 2025-2035 - BRAZILIAN SYMPOSIUM ON HUMAN FACTORS IN COMPUTATIONAL SYSTEMS (IHC), 24. , 2025, Belo Horizonte/MG. Anais [...]. Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação, 2025 . p. 274-279. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/ihc_estendido.2025.15993.

Most read articles by the same author(s)