Sounds depict many things as they denote or even alert on changes or an impending eventuality. How important are the sounds heard inside a vehicle?
Drivers hear a range of sounds on every journey, from indicators and parking sensors to seatbelt warnings. They might seem insignificant, but they’re the result of rigorous work.
Why put so much work into the sounds heard inside a vehicle? It is because the way in which they are made and what they sound like is central to the overall in-car experience.
According to the French carmaker, these sounds are crucial. According to Renault Design, they are not only crucial for the driver, who must understand what the sounds mean but also for the brand, which can reinforce its identity via these features.
William Rodriguez, Experience Manager at Renault Design, explains the challenges and the creative process behind the development of interior sounds in the Renault vehicles of today and tomorrow. He said the car is an instrument that has to be tuned. It produces abstract sounds which need to be understood. “We’re not making music; we’re communicating messages with an intentional aesthetic, while complying with and reinforcing the brand’s DNA.”
Sound purpose
A historic mobility brand, Renault’s ambition is to embody modernity and innovation in technology, energy and mobility services in the automotive industry and beyond.
According to Renault Design, the work on sound design inside the cabin can be classified into three major sound groups. Regulatory sounds advise or warn, such as the indicators and the seatbelt warning. Driving aid sounds are features such as the parking sensors and Lane Departure Warning. Finally, multimedia sounds respond to actions performed on the central screen.
There are several reasons why it is essential to formulate a sound design strategy. It provides a unique user experience, finding the ideal balance between sound and other visual or haptic stimuli. More importantly, the sounds must be pleasant for the user while sending the right messages to inform, confirm, warn or alert. The driver must be able to interpret them and adapt their behaviour instinctively.
When it comes to exclusivity, a particular strategy must also create a sound environment specific to the Renault brand. The sound elements that enliven the passenger compartments and screens in vehicles all help reinforce the brand identity in the same way as a light signature or an advertising slogan. The objective is to inspire emotions by providing a finely tuned and enjoyable driving experience.
Rodriguez says the company pays special attention to the iconic nature of sounds to create a true Renault sound identity. In terms of artistic direction, it wants Renault sounds to be consistent with the brand identity, which are: meaningful, caring, positive and fun.
Sound future!
Renault Design has an exclusive user experience department, and it is currently working on a new generation of in-car sounds for production vehicles. As with a classic industrial design process, work on sound design is carried out with sketches created for each sound, in line with the overall artistic direction and the type of message to be conveyed.
To embody compassion and to create attractive sounds, nature very quickly became the main source of inspiration. “We worked with a palette of sounds inspired by nature: pieces of wood rubbing together, percussive sounds, seeds pouring, drops of water,” he adds.
From here, these sound materials are stylised and mixed using sound processing software, then tested on target users who share their perceptions. This is important, as users may judge a sound to be too ‘dark’ or too ‘sharp’, too ‘plastic’ or too ‘musical.’
Depending on this feedback, the sounds are then reworked, sculpted, contoured or trimmed, while ensuring they match the overall strategy, in close collaboration with other departments such as Product, Engineering and Marketing, says Renault.
The total makeover of sound design for future Renault vehicles is close to completion. The result will be heard in models launching in 2022.