A Survey on Common Practice in Designing Audio in the User Interface

The current practice of designing the auditory mode in the user interface is poorly understood. In this survey, we aim at revealing the common understanding of the role of audio in human-computer interaction and how designers approach design tasks involving audio. We investigate which guidelines and principles participants use in their designs and which guidance is needed to improve the quality of auditory design. The responses are analysed and interpreted by quantitative and qualitative methods. The 86 participants enabled us to draw a relatively accurate picture of how the field is perceived and helped to identify problems in the design of efficient audio in the user interface. The results of the survey are subsequently developed into requirements for a methodological design framework, with the aim to provide easily accessible guidance for designers to integrate audio in the user interface.