Sound

Sound can be used as a way to communicate additional information in a UI. It enhances the overall experience and provides some personality to the application.

Sound should never be used by itself, but must always be used in conjunction with other components. For example, an audio file playback should be accompanied by a transcription or subtitles for people with impaired hearing.

• Types
• When To Use
• When Not To Use

There are two types of sound available in the UI: audio tones and speech. Each communicates different things, and may be used together depending on the context.

Speech

Speech output can communicate information that tones alone cannot, such as conversations. For example, the Avaya Spaces® dial-in menu when joining a space via telephone.

Audio Tones

Shorter sounds, such as notification alerts and dial tones, are used most frequently in applications.

As with our foundational components, sound should be used to convey information in meaningful context. There are some situations where sounds are a useful addition.

Telephony Feedback

Traditional telephony sounds, such as incoming and outgoing ringtones, dial tones, and conferencing tones when entering and exiting a space, all help to convey the current state within the environment.

Notifications and Alerts

In-product notifications and alerts can highlight these elements.

In many cases, sound may not be necessary and can be a hinderance if played too often.

User Request

When the user requests not to have any unexpected interruptions, or specifically turns off a setting that allows for sound notifications, no audio should be played.

Frequent Actions

Actions that are performed often, such as selections and keyboard clicks, should not include audio feedback.