New prototype embeds BBC sound archive in the real world

Emily Sorrell was inspired to build the Sonosynthesiser the moment she discovered the BBC sound archive online. "I had come across it when it was first made publicly available and I couldn’t believe that more people weren’t talking about it" she said.

Having studied as a graphic designer, Sorrell soon became fascinated with design thinking in three dimensional spaces. She now works as a creative strategist and innovation designer, collaborating with heritage collections and cultural organisations across the UK, exploring ways to preserve intangible heritage collections and highlight opportunities for creative innovation as we reimagine our museums and cultural spaces.

Her first major work, The Sonosynthesiser, creates a layer of archive sound on top of a physical environment. Users can locate and tune into different fragments of sound using a hand-held device. "I wanted to use digital technology to build an experience that was tactile, and felt authentically analogue - something retro-futurisic,” Sorrell explained. "I wanted familiar technology to feel invisible, like magic."

With no background in technology, Sorrell worked to build a specialised team to bring the concept to life. “Software engineer, Eddie Reeder was the resident magician” Sorrell says, “But we also worked with three very talented emerging designers to build something that felt right for the concept. We ended up with a beautiful atomic-era inspired prototype that you can’t help but pick up and start engaging with." The three designers in question are Lydia Otway, Toby Michael Shepherd and Hattie Evans.

Throughout the project, the software and physical device went through iterative testing and improvement, as the team explored how to make the experience intuitive enough that people could get lost in it. One of the highlights of the project was seeing the emotional responses of the first users, particularly older members of the public who were visibly moved when listening to the bygone sounds that once permeated their everyday lives. Users described the experience as 'beautiful, fascinating and very hypnotic'.

Though the first iteration of the Sonosynthesiser draws on the vast BBC Sound Effects Archive, the tool could easily become a vessel for other forgotten collections, allowing people to physically immerse themselves in any digital archive. Whether it's audio or video-based, the possibilities are practically endless. Sorrell hopes she can test other applications for the prototype in the future; “This time-travelling device,” she adds “has infinite potential in E-health as an immersive companion to patients with early to mid-stage dementia. It would be such a privilege to explore this further.”

Emily Sorrell is an Innovation Designer, Researcher, Community Builder, and a collector of things that gather dust.

Amongst other things she is a creative strategist and innovation designer, working in the spaces between experience and education. She builds tactile, meaningful and memorable experiences rooted in the past.

Emily has worked with heritage collections and cultural organisations across the UK, exploring ways to preserve intangible heritage collections and highlight opportunities for creative innovation as we reimagine our museums and cultural spaces.

You can visit Emily's website, or follow her on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.

The Sonosynthesiser Team was:

Designer/Project Manager: Emily Sorrell
Software Engineer: Eddie Reeder
Prototype team: Lydia Otway, Toby Michael Shepherd, Hattie Evans
Photographer: Matt Cannon

Exhibition Volunteers: Charlotte Sorrell, Charlotte Higgins

With thanks to Falmouth University for the use of their 3D printer