Audio in all its forms holds tremendous potential for interaction design. Sound can engage, inform, convey narrative, dramatize, create attention, affection and adventure. However, the abilities to interact with computer systems through and with sound are still not sufficiently explored. The Audio Mostly Conference provides a venue to explore and promote the untapped potential of audio for interaction design by bringing together audio experts, content creators, interaction designers, behavioural researchers and others.

The area of interest covers new interactive applications for sound that demand or allow for some kind of interactive response from the users/listeners. It can for example be in scenarios where screens and keyboards are unavailable, unsuitable or disturbing, but it can also be in contexts where sound in combination with other modalities form new and innovative interfaces between users and machines. The area implies cognitive research and psychology, design methodology and practice, as well as technological innovations in audio analysis, processing and rendering. The aim is to both describe and push the boundaries of sound-based interaction in various domains, such as industry, mobile applications, computer games, education, entertainment, safety and digital arts.

The theme this year is “Imagining Sound and Music”

How does one design the sound of an imaginary creature and what is the relationship between the artist and the engineer when turning musical imagination into reality? Whether composing musical scores, creating fantastical sonic spaces, or creating monster sounds, the resultant interaction with such imaginary sonic artefacts plays no less a significant role than the realization of the aural imaginary.

Topics of Interest:

The Audio Mostly conference series is interested in sound interaction design in general, is strongly interdisciplinary, and provides a space for alternative creative approaches. Hence, prospective contributions are not limited to specific methodological approaches and papers dealing with the theme from either a philosophical or an empirical viewpoint are welcome along with those with a more mixed method. Contributions may address a number of sound- and music-based topics related to the theme that include, but are not limited to:

shared and individual imagination
user experience
fantastical sounds and spaces
creativity
technology
future interfaces for new experiences
interaction
sensory and perceptual modalities
conceptualization
drafting
implementation

Important Dates

Deadline for paper submission – May 9, 2014
Notification of acceptance – June 20, 2014
Camera-ready paper submission – July 25 2014
Early registration deadline – September 1 2014
Conference – October 1-3 2014