Hasta La Ideas

Electronic-music-composer-meets-product-designer Yuri Suzuki (responsible for the read/write pens and barcode books we posted late last year) has posted the results of his workshop “Re-Designing a Domestic Sound-Scape,” conducted as the final part of his residency at Iaspis in Sweden.

Suzuki and participants used with the “seemingly trite sound of a door bell” as a means to begin to exploring all the sonic opportunities in the domestic landscape around us:

What effect would a whispering or moaning doorbell have? How would we interpret bird songs or the sound of barking dogs – as visitor or host? What happens if the first impression is disturbed by an unexpected sound? Can the sound of a doorbell have an effect on the very notion of hospitality? All participants will have the possibility to produce a door bell of their own during this one-day workshop. Material for a doorbell development kit, such as acrylic block, solenoids, various actuators and switches, will be supplied.

The results aren’t meant only for the ears—they have visual, material and mechanical properties that delight, suggesting that if we start with sound, new discoveries in designing for other senses may follow.

See more of this workshop after the jump and at Suzuki’s flickr and vimeo sites.

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