Towards Ecological, Embodied and User-Centric Design in Auditory Display

Auditory display research has been criticised over a perceived lack of progress in tackling key issues relating to usability and user-experience. However, emerging trends in design-thinking present new tools for addressing the usability concerns that have long beleaguered this field of inquiry. In this paper, we provide an in-depth analysis on the emergence of design-based approaches in auditory display research by mapping out the progression of current research in the field. Through an ecological and embodied approach to perception and cognition, we then evaluate user-centric design strategies as tools for better understanding complex design spaces and improving usability. We then present a discussion to elucidate the benefits to auditory display research of employing usercentric design strategies for future projects.