Abstract Auditory perception is a seemingly neglected aspect of design with respect to non audio specific products. The complex subjectivity with which we perceive sounds and subsequently attribute meanings to them is extensive, as described by Rabek (1966). If one considers that a moving image need only be rendered at twenty four frames per second to provide an effective deception of being constant, yet sound requires a much higher resolution such as the standard forty four thousand one hundred samples per second at CD quality to achieve a satisfactory auditory equivalent, this can be drawn as an indicator to the relative complexity between our auditory and visual sensory systems. This Paper will discuss the quantification and application of our sonic perception in modern design, as well as discussing the rationales for doing so. Introduction Product Sound (PS) attempts to quantify many aspects of sonic perception and subsequently apply these findings to product design in the hope of achieving a better sounding, more appealing product, based upon the reasoning that “one important consequence of the multisensory integration of sensory information that is constantly taking place in the human brain is that it is possible to change a person’s perception of the stimuli presented in one sensory modality simply by changing the stimuli that are presented to another sensory modality” (Spence & Zampini, 2007). This practice has been prevalent within the automotive industry since the 1970’s but within the past decade has become ubiquitous within other product sectors, interestingly including food manufacturing (Dijksterhuis et al, 2005; Özcan & van Egmond 2008; Schifferstein, 2010; Technical Brief No. 42, n.d.). It is difficult to pinpoint in which instance PS was first consciously applied throughout the course of history but there are numerous times at which semantic descriptors of sound have been noted as relevant. It is important to distinguish however between the use of something for the way it sounds and the adaptation of a product to make it sound a certain way. An interesting example of a historical occurrence of PS in practice is the Junkers Ju87 or ‘Stuka’ diver bomber which was in service during WW2. The design incorporated a siren, the sole purpose of which was to instill psychological fear into the occupants of its targets. It is however, “only during the last few years we have begun to realize the importance of product sound to the user assessment and satisfaction and hence also to the market acceptance of the products” (Fog & Holm Pederson, 1999). Subsequently there has been a realisation that PS can become an important factor in gaining and upholding a competitive market position, leading to an increase in its implementation within everyday product design. Rationales for Product Sound One principal motive for implementing PS is to enhance the user experience. This can in some ways be likened to the concept of added value, as described by Chion in relation to sound accompanying a moving image (1994). It affects our emotional connection with a product and “emotions have a great impact on human behavior since they influence processes such as perception, attention, learning or decision making” (Tajadura-Jaménéz & Västfjäll, 2006). Hoch describes in detail how the consumer is seduced by product experience and that this can indeed supersede the authority of previous experience in decision making (2002). Brown & Carpenter elaborate further by describing how within some product categories, there exists no market leader as such, resulting in consumer purchase decisions often being based upon trivial attributes or TA’s (2000), a point that Patrick & Hagtvedt reinforce in saying that “design salience is a product characteristic in which design is a central product attribute that may serve as a point of differentiation and may be the basis of choice for a consumer” (2011). With this in mind it is quite straightforward to understand the potential benefits to a manufacturer in achieving an enhanced user experience through PS. Even more so when one considers that “there is evidence to affirm that people are much more sensitive Desirable Sound for Products as a Product of Design Ben Reibel - MSc Music Technology - Leeds Metropolitan University - 2012