Connecting to Nature through Data Sonification

Consisting of a set of near-future artifacts, this project explores how the sonification of environmental data can create new ways of relating to nature. By touching soil, water, plants, and fungi with sensor-equipped fingers, environmental data is sensed and translated into sound through a recording device. The resulting sound can be recorded onto a disc, preserving a tangible memory of the interaction with nature.

Due to the ambiguity of the sonified data, it is not explicitly indicated whether the data is “good” or “bad.” Instead, you must actively listen, compare sounds, and draw your own conclusions—fostering a deeper, more intuitive understanding of your environment.

Developed as part of a Sound Design course at Umeå Institute of Design, this project was a collaboration between students from the Advanced Product Design and Interaction Design Master’s programmes.

Project Type

Explorative project with a focus on sound in combination with form and product interaction

Team

Sander, Sharvin, Samuel and me

Timeline

3 weeks in 2025

Keywords

Experience Design, Speculative Design, Video Prototyping, Sound Design, Critical Design, Model Making, Vital, Ableton

Awards

1

Wander

Wander into nature with your device

2

Sense

Listen to the data of your surroundings

3

Collect

Preserve the moments that resonate with you on the memory disc.

4

Reminisce

Revisit your past journeys through their captured soundscapes

The Collector

The Collector is a handheld recording device that converts extracted data into live sound. Holding the record button stores the sensed sound onto the disc in real time. A minimal light interface indicates the type of data being recorded and the remaining storage capacity.

1. Light Interface, 2. Record Button, 3. Speaker, 4. Memory Disc

The Sensors

Sensors worn on your fingers captures data such as pH, bioelectrical signals, and moisture levels from the elements of nature you grace with your hand. This data is transmitted to the Collector in real time.

1. Various Sensors for Environmental Data

The Composer

Later at home, you can relive your journey through the Composer, a playback device that weaves the collected sounds into an ambient soundscape.

1. Play/Pause Button, 2. Volume Control

Memory

Drawing from the tangible experience of the Polaroid camera, physical disc are used to store the extracted data. Its limited storage capacity encourages you to choose your sounds carefully, resulting in a thoughtful collection that reflects your personal journey through nature.

↑ Mark the disc with the location where the sounds were recorded, the date, or any other meaningful detail.

The Interface

Data-to-Sound Translation

Due to the ambiguity of the sonified data, it is not explicitly indicated whether the data is “good” or “bad.” Instead, you must actively listen, compare sounds, and draw your own conclusions, fostering a deeper, more intuitive understanding of your environment. A thriving plant produces more sound than a wilting one due to stronger bioelectrical signals. The river’s pH level influences pitch, with higher acidity producing a higher pitch, while the current determines the tempo.

↑ A thriving plant produces more sound than a wilting one due to stronger bioelectrical signals.

Behind the Scenes

This intense three-week project showed what can be achieved in a short timeframe, largely through strong collaboration within the group. I learned to use audio tools like Vital and Ableton and was surprised by how much I could create with little musical background. Exploring sound as a new form of expression was rewarding, and I want to continue experimenting, perhaps even learning an instrument.
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We realized early on that introducing technology into the experience of nature is both challenging and provocative, as it can risk distancing us from what we aim to connect with. We therefore framed the project speculatively, despite relying on near-existing technology. The concept aims to prompt reflection on the relationship between humans, nature, and technology, and on how design shapes our experience of nature.