Sound Design for Devices
A (brief) Guide
Why do devices need professional sound design?
Sound in a device isn’t an afterthought - it’s a critical layer of the user experience. The right audio cues guide behavior, build trust, and create an emotional bond with the product. When designed intentionally, device sounds become as essential as the visual interface, ensuring users know exactly what’s happening and how to respond.
Important considerations when deciding on your product sound.
How important to my customer is auditory feedback?
Auditory feedback is crucial in how users interact with your product. It can also provide the user with valuable information pertaining to its function. If your product is functional, whether through entertainment, health, informative use, or industry - chances are sound plays a major role.
What is my Branding?
The tone, texture, and timing of your sound design should reflect your product’s purpose. Branding does not have to be limited to entertainment or socially relevant experiences, but can also include functionally informative audio feedback.
What types of sounds will I be using?
You might need short confirmation tones, alert notifications, ambient soundscapes, or utility-based cues for user productivity. Determining what types of sounds are needed sets the stage for the necessary sound design and defines the purpose those cues will serve.
What types of speakers are required?
The types of sounds will inevitably lead to the types of speakers necessary to transmit the audio. Your sonic profile will ultimately determine the form factor required as well. The more in-depth the sound, the more complicated, and often larger the speaker. Aligning your brand, sound profile, and speaker will guide you as you sculpt the form and casing of your product.
How will I implement my audio?
Implementation is a two-step process: rendering the correct audio format and the technical application of installing the audio device. We’ll go over the different options below.
Is testing required?
Testing should always be performed to some extent to verify the audio fidelity of your device. It’s essential to ensure your product’s audio is functional, informative, purposeful, high fidelity, and aligned with your overall branding.
Branding
If you’ve decided that sound design is necessary in your product, it’s time to think about branding. It’s become a bit of a generalized word over the years, but in sound design, it essentially means the auditory theme that will resonate with your customer. For many, a sonic profile simply serves a utility-e.g., medical devices, health and fitness products, or industrial functions. For others, it acts as an audible cue that not only represents your product in action, but has the potential to resonate with your customer long after. It’s best to take some time to consider what purpose and function your product’s sound will serve.
Sounds
When thinking about the literal sounds of your product, you should decide on its audio profile. When we say “audio profile,” we mean the expression of your idea and the instruments that will carry it. This could include basic synth sounds, classic instrument tones, electronic/piezoelectric sounds, or a hybrid custom design. Here are some examples.
Speakers
Buckle up! There are a lot of options. Most modern devices rely on embedded speakers to deliver sound - from simple alerts to rich, branded sonic logos. The choice of speaker technology directly impacts the quality, loudness, and character of your device’s sound design. Below are the most common types of speakers found in consumer electronics, wearables, and connected hardware:
Piezoelectric
Description: Extremely small, lightweight, and inexpensive. They generate sound by flexing a piezoelectric material. Check out our Blog on Piezoelectric speakers and sound design.
Use Cases: Toys, watches, medical devices, and other ultra-low-power products.
Pros: Minimal cost, highly reliable, low current draw.
Cons: Limited frequency range (thin, tonal sound); unsuitable for branded logos or complex audio.
Design Implication: Best for short confirmation beeps and alarms where intelligibility outweighs fidelity.
Multi-Driver / Array Systems
Description: Devices that integrate multiple speakers (e.g., tweeters + woofers or multi-directional drivers) to achieve fuller sound and spatial effects. Pictured: Tymphany / Peerless TC9FD18-08 - 3.5" full-range, often paired in stereo/arrays.
Use Cases: Premium smart speakers, robotic assistants, entertainment/immersive products.
Pros: Full-range sound with spatial capabilities; can deliver high-impact branded experiences.
Cons: Increased size, cost, and engineering complexity.
Design Implication: Allows for advanced branded soundscapes and immersive UX audio that goes beyond simple alerts.
Micro Dynamic Speakers
Description: Miniature versions of traditional coil-and-diaphragm speakers, found in smartphones, tablets, and handheld devices. Pictured: Knowles SR Series (e.g., SR-32453) – compact round dynamic speaker, often used in headsets.
Use Cases: Smart home devices, handheld tech, automotive dashboards.
Pros: Better bass and midrange than piezos, capable of nuanced sonic branding.
Cons: Larger power draw and physical footprint compared to piezos.
Design Implication: Ideal for delivering branded sonic logos, notification tones, and voice prompts with warmth and clarity..
Waterproof Speakers
Description: Speakers engineered with IP-rated protection (IPX7, IP67, IP68) to withstand splashes, submersion, and high-humidity environments. Pictured: Same Sky (Formerly CUI Devices) CMS-151103-088SP - often paired Smart wearables (watches, fitness trackers).
Use Cases: Wearables, fitness devices, smart home products in kitchens/bathrooms, medical devices requiring sterilization, outdoor IoT sensors.
Pros: Reliable in wet conditions; hydrophobic meshes and sealed housings protect electronics while allowing sound transmission.
Cons: Protective membranes can slightly dampen high frequencies; added manufacturing cost.
Design Implication: Designers must account for acoustic dampening and tune sounds for clarity in real-world wet or noisy environments.
Balanced Armature Speakers
Description: Precision drivers originally developed for hearing aids, now common in in-ear monitors and wearable devices. Pictured: ED Series ( e.g., ED-2968)
Use Cases: Earbuds, medical wearables, ultra-compact devices.
Pros: Highly efficient, accurate sound reproduction in a tiny package.
Cons: Narrow frequency response; often paired with other drivers for full-range sound.
Design Implication: Excellent when size and efficiency are critical, though best suited for controlled soundscapes rather than loud ambient playback.
Ruggedized Speakers
Description: Speakers built for durability against vibration, dust, shock, and temperature extremes, often used in industrial or mobile contexts. Pictured: PUI Audio, Inc. AS02008MR-R - often paired outdoor and rugged devices.
Use Cases: Industrial IoT panels, outdoor kiosks, robotics, automotive dashboards, rugged tablets.
Pros: Long-term reliability; resistant to environmental stress and mechanical wear; some models include water resistance.
Cons: Bulkier housings and coatings may limit size efficiency; can reduce acoustic performance compared to standard speakers.
Design Implication: Ruggedization ensures consistent performance in demanding environments but requires trade-offs between durability and audio fidelity.
Implementation
Much of what we consider to be “implementation” is actually a two-part process. There’s the audio portion, what format the audio needs to be (WAV, MP3, MIDI, or other codecs) - and the physical installation of the speaker or audio files. If you source a professional sound designer, they would handle all of the audio design, formatting, technical guides, sourcing, and even physical implementation if needed. However, in most cases, physical implementation is handled by an engineer. Let’s break it down.
The audio is created.
You’ve either created the audio yourself, sourced pre-made sounds from a sound pack, or had a professional sound designer craft exactly the right types of sounds and cues your device needs. If you’re interested in creating the sounds yourself, there are plenty of informative tutorials on how to make basic sound design. Sound design is a term with two meanings, but without diving into that, you’re best off looking for tutorials on generating your own sounds versus recording them. Here is a good place to start.
Now what..
You’ve sourced or created amazing sounds for your device, now it’s time to consider the format your sounds need to be in as you prepare for implementation. These formats can range from WAV (48kHz 24-bit), MP3, MIDI, .OGG, and even Unity-based sound assets. The nature and purpose of your device will determine which format is most suitable. For example, if your device is a small object using a piezoelectric speaker, you’ll most likely need MIDI to translate your sound design into readable signals. Or if your device is a cutting-edge smart product that requires trigger-based playback, you may build and implement sound using Unity.
Implementation
The physical implementation and its difficulty will be determined by the complexity of the device itself. All electronics come with some level of challenge, and DIY applications vary in difficulty depending on the product you’re trying to create. If you don’t have a basic understanding of circuitry or electrical skills like soldering, it’s best to hire or consult an engineer to professionally install your sounds and audio components. Here is fun DIY use case of audio modules and technical implementation for audio devices.
Testing
Testing is where the rubber hits the road - where your audio is verified within the device to ensure it’s functional, informative, branded, and high fidelity. This is the stage where you revise and refine your sound to maximize its effectiveness for the user.
Here, you’ll test your prototype’s audio in its final (or near-final) form to confirm the core aspects of utility and user experience. Without embedding and testing the sound in the actual device, you risk unexpected shifts in sonic range as different physical form factors can affect the frequencies and clarity of your audio.
When testing we want to consider these key aspects of UX audio and sound design testing:
Audio Playback Accuracy
Test whether sounds play as intended (on trigger, at correct volume)
Check sync with UI animation(If necessary) or user input
Confirm stereo/mono behavior depending on output hardware
Device-Specific Sound Performance
Verify clarity
Account for speaker limitations (e.g., frequency range, distortion)
Adjust gain or EQ to suit onboard hardware
Environmental Conditions
Test in noisy, quiet, and mixed environments
Simulate how background sound effects audibility
Test against user location, distance and comfort
Adjust tone/design for better cut-through
Perceptual Clarity
Confirm users can recognize the intent of the sound (e.g., alert vs confirm)
Validate emotional tone: friendly, urgent, passive, etc.
A/B test variations for memorability and satisfaction
User Interaction Testing
Measure timing responsiveness (input vs. feedback)
Ensure UI sounds support and not confuse the user
Check for audio fatigue in high-frequency interactions
Consistency & Sonic Language
Review if sounds feel like part of the same audio family
Match branding tone and product feel
Audit for accidental repetition or annoying patterns
Implementation Testing
Confirm file formats are supported by firmware or platform (e.g., Unity, iOS, Android)
Ensure correct loop points, fade-ins, or sample rates
Check memory footprint and performance (especially in embedded devices)
User Feedback & Iteration
Gather user impressions via usability testing or surveys
Iterate based on listener understanding, satisfaction, or confusion
Incorporate test learnings, revise and refine based on feedback
The Takeaway
Understanding intent, purpose and function of your device will help to clarify your goals in regards to its Sound Design. As important as its function is the the auditory feedback your customers experience when using your product. Great sound doesn’t happen by accident. It’s an intentional, thought through, focused, created, implemented and tested process. The end product being a cohesive brand your users experience at every interaction. Whether it's a confirmation tone on a wearable, a branded startup chime, a utility based notification in industrial hardware, or a subtle UI cue in a smart device - every sound plays a role in shaping the user’s perception of quality, usability, and trust.