How do you sound design?: an exploratory investigation of sound design process visualizations

Sound design is increasingly diversifying into many areas beyond its traditional domains in film, television, radio or theatre. This leads to sound designers being confronted with a multitude of design and development processes. The related methodologies have an impact on how problems are framed and what is considered an ideal path to achieve their solutions. From this a need for an educated discourse in sound design education and professional practice arises. This article investigates the creative process from the perspective of an emerging generation of sound designers. The first part of the paper outlines concepts and models of the design process in various fields of practice. The second part is devoted to an interpretive comparative analysis of sound design process visualizations created by sound design students with a professional background. Apart from gaining a better understanding of the creative process of the sound designers, the goal of this work is to contribute to a better integration of the sound design craft into contemporary design process methodologies, ultimately leading to an empowerment of the sound designer in complex, dynamic and interdisciplinary project settings.