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This Sonicbids article goes over how to get better audio recordings without having a professional recording studio at home. One of the biggest tips that I learned is about the recording environment, and how it can make a huge difference in how the final audio ends up. Even when you use a good microphone, recording in a room with too much echo or background noise can completely ruin the final recording. It goes on to recommend using a space with soft materials, like blankets, curtains, and mattresses, to absorb background noise. I made sure to do this when recording my podcast, so I recorded it in my bedroom and sat underneath a blanket to reduce the noise of my roommates. This was also benifical as I wanted my podcast to have a softer sound, and this helped me achieve it.
Another important lesson they mention is to pay attention to recording levels. If the level on the microphone is too high, the audio can clip and become distorted. The article goes on to recommend recording multiple takes of the same line, so you have multiple options when you are editing them together later on. When it comes to actually editing the vocals, it is important to not overdo it with effects or corrections. Keeping the natural personality of the host or the speaker makes the project feel more genuine. Overall, the article hammers home the point of being able to record high-quality vocals without having a ridiculous recording setup with fancy equipment. The space you’re recording in, microphone placement, preparation, and editing all play a big role in the final product.
This Videomaker article talks about why audio is an important part of video editing instead of some afterthought. One of the main ideas is to build the story around the audio from the beginning. The article explains that dialogue and other important sounds should be organized into three sections, a beginning, middle, and end, at the very beginning of the editing process. This is because it can help make the overall video feel more natural and easier to follow. In addition, it also adds value to the storytelling aspect of the edits.
The article also mentions the importance of smooth audio transitions. Just doing simple tricks like fading the audio or adjusting individual clip volumes can make scene changes feel more natural. I found a simple whoosh and bell sound effect that I used between each section of my podcast, which really seemed to keep the entire work organized. In addition, background music can be super useful, as it can help build the mood of the piece. In addition, it also helps from the editing side, as it can cover up a rough transitions and overall make the video feel complete. I did this in my podcast, as I found a calm piano track to put over my entire podcast. At first, I intended on it to fade in and out, but having it over the whole thing really helped the ambiance of the entire thing. Another thing the article mentioned is using B-roll footage to disguise visual cuts, while letting the audio overlap. This wasn’t useful for this project but is a great tip for video editing. The biggest takeaway from this article is that good audio editing can really make a video, even when there are issues with other aspects of the project. The audio is a great base for the entire project.
Icethetics is a YouTube channel that focuses on hockey branding, including logo and jersey design, and overall they “aesthetics of hockey”. This is something that I really enjoy as I am a big hockey fan and am a graphic designer, so combining the two topics is super interesting to me. I chose this channel based on the production value and how high-quality and consistent the final edits come out. The videos use narration, graphics, images, and footage to explain the design decisions and history behind specific hockey branding. The editing does a great job at keeping the information organized as well as visually interesting, while the audio design helps guide the viewer through the entire video.
Defunctland is a documentary-style YouTube channel that explores the history of theme parks, attractions, television, and other pieces of entertainment from the past. I chose this channel specifically because of its ability to take simple and truthfully random topics and turn them into detailed, engaging stories. His videos combine research, archived footage, narration, music, and sound design to create mini documentaries that are way more emotional and suspenseful than you’d think a random YouTube video could be.
One video that stands out to me is “Disney Channel’s Theme: A History Mystery”. The entire video tries to discover who created the iconic four-note Disney Channel theme and turns that simple topic into an entire documentary. I believe this video does such a great job with its sound design, and how it isn’t just supporting the story; it is the subject of the story itself. The use of the music, archived recordings, narration, and well-timed editing helps build such a suspenseful video about an investigation over four notes and who originally wrote them. This is a video I highly recommend watching.
I chose Sam Reid’s The Studio Revue because of the storytelling and editing behind the YouTube series. Rather than simply documenting an experience from start to finish, his videos are structured around a central goal. For example, in his video about visiting the last existing Blockbuster, the trip becomes a story meant to represent revisiting a part of the past. The narration, music, humor, and editing help to turn an ordinary experience, like going to a store or traveling to a new place, into something very unique with clear progression and payoffs.
The audio plays an important role in his videos, as it sets the mood and controls the pacing for the entire video. The music he chooses helps establish the feeling of different moments, while also aiding in transitions between scenes. Something that is also interesting is that he uses copyrighted music, which is unique to see in a YouTube video. I think that aspect gives a sense of familiarity to his videos. I also like how the videos balance his sense of humor with the more reflective moments. This is a good example of how thoughtful editing and sound design can make an overall personal experience feel like a polished story.
I chose to focus on Hayden Hillier Smith, as his videos focus on the creative decisions behind editing and storytelling. He breaks down how editors use pacing, music, sound effects, and visual cuts to hold an audience’s attention and create emotional moments. One example of him doing this is his video “The Editing That Makes Your Story 10x Deeper”, where he talks about how the perspective of a video can change how an audience understands it.
What I find interesting about his approach is how he looks past the trendy high-cut video style that is popular on YouTube. As someone who has edited for massive YouTubers, you would think this is something he would promote or teach. Instead, he emphasizes using editing to create emotion and to develop a story. He also hammers home the importance of music and sound, as they help build tension, emphasize important moments, and change the mood of the video.
https://soundcloud.com/ryan-lopano/on-campus-college-experiences
Chapter Eight of The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video discusses the importance of sound when it comes to media. It specifically focuses on how sound is actually recorded and how it is used in film and other video production.
It goes into the science side of sound, explaining the basics of how sound waves work and microphones. This includes how sound travels and how different recording environments can affect the final audio recording and the importance of picking the right microphone.
The chapter also talks about recording “clean sound”, the importance of capturing sound effects, and recording voices overall. It talks about how background noise, echoes in the room, and/or poor microphone placement can make voices difficult to understand. A way to combat this is to record extra sounds separately, as they can help make the scene more complete when editing.
The biggest takeaways I got from the chapter are that the sound design should be planned just as carefully as visuals. Especially because there won’t be visuals for my podcast, this means the sounds design is crucial to nail. Techniques like recording my voice clearly, choosing a quiet location to record, and using quality background music and intentionally ambience sounds is very important. For my podcast, sounds like footsteps or distant conversations can help establish that college setting, but in that same vein, they should not distract from the overall message.
This article by Kevin Anderson talks about how to write a natural and conversational podcast script instead of something that sounds like someone just reading from a document. He mentions that planning the podcast episode with bullet points is a good way to do this.
It also shows the importance of a clear structure in a podcast episode. The opening hook should grab the attention of the audience and explain to them what the episode or series will be about. The middle will be the meat of the episode, where you give the listener valuable information based on your topic. “Depending on the length of your show, you might have 3-5 key waypoints to guide your listener through the story your podcasting is telling. Keep the flow sequential in nature” (The Podcast Host). This is followed by the ending, which should briefly recap the main ideas of the entire podcast episode.
Another important point Anderson brings up is to write your script the way you naturally speak. This, like short sentences, everyday language, and a conversational tone, will help the audience feel actually connected to the host. This is something that is especially important when it comes to my podcast, as I want it to sound like a natural conversation rather than something too professional or scripted.
This piece by Colin Gray discusses three angles when it comes to writing a podcast script: writing every word, creating a detailed outline, or using a flexible list of bullet points. This is a bit different from the advice given in the previous article but could be benifical depending on the topic of the podcast itself. Each of the three methods has its own pros and cons depending on the host and their experience.
A full script could be beneficial to help the host cover all the important topics and information, but it can take longer to prepare ahead of time and may sound more monotone when read aloud. A detailed outline is the best of both worlds, as it provides both preparation and flexibility. The final of the three is rough bullet points, which can sound more conversational.
The main lesson of this article is that there isn’t a correct way to go about scripting a podcast. “Whatever method you choose is perfectly fine. As I said, it’s a really personal choice, and you’ll find one you prefer with a little experimentation” (The Podcast Host). For my project, I’m using bullet points as it will lead to a more casual sound, which should relate back to my audience. Despite this, I will still plan what I plan on talking about and any other quotes or other information I plan on using.
This reading by Kevin Anderson talks about the importance of a podcast’s title, tagline, and opening hook, and how to make them more memorable. The title and tagline are meant to represent the show’s identity, while the hook gives listeners a reason to pay attention and want to stay and listen. Both should communicate the podcast’s purpose without making the intro unnecessarily complicated.
It later explains that effective taglines are short and to the point, which leads to something that is easy to remember. A strong introduction should show off the host, explain what both the show and episode are about, and tell listeners what they will expect from listening.
For my podcast, On Campus: College Experiences Dissected, the tagline “College Experiences Dissected” establishes the initial topic, but the tagline will be used to draw the audience’s attention. Starting with a relatable situation about friendships or social media is meant to make listeners feel connected to the subject.
This article by Matthew McLean mentions the tools and resources that are used to make podcast planning easier. He talks about how producing a podcast involves more than just recording audio and the importance of pre-production. Podcast creators need to organize their ideas, develop a plan for the episode, choose and set up recording equipment, and manage production.
The main message is that planning tools should be used to help creators spend less time worrying about the technical side and to allow the host more time to develop the content. Having an organized process is crucial to take an idea from the initial stages to eventually leading to a fully finished and fleshed-out episode.
This relates back to my project as it reinforces the importance of creating a clear outline beforehand. I have planned my sections out, organized my information, and connected my personal stories back to the topic at hand.
This resource, written by Robert Cudmore, talks about the importance of delivering a confident and clear podcast sound. Good writing alone isn’t enough to lead to a quality episode, as the host’s pacing, tone, pronunciation, and overall delivery are very important when it comes to how the audience experiences the actual episode. If the podcast doesn’t audibly sound good or interesting, no one will want to listen to it.
It recommends using short notes and bullet points instead of using a fully written-out script that the host would read out word-for-word. It also talks about practicing before recording, as it will lead to a better overall product. “The more familiar you are with your notes, the easier it’ll be to convey them in your own words. A good thing to practice is to do a dry run, bouncing off your notes to see how it sounds before you hit Record. (The Podcast Host)” You can see which vocal delivery is appropriate and overall be able to speak at a more comfortable pace. These techniques help the host sound more conversational and prevent the episode from feeling too robotic.
This is especially helpful for my podcast because the topic is about personal experiences. I want listeners to feel that I am talking to them directly so they can imagine the scenarios in their eyes. Practicing the script and leaving room for natural pauses will help me say the information without sounding like I’m reading off a script.
This podcast talks about different stories behind recognizable sounds in both entertainment and technology fields. They do an excellent job of using sound effects, music, and narration to make audio itself the focus of the story.
It does a good job of demonstrating how sounds can be more than just something to fill silence. For my podcast, simple sounds like footsteps, distant conversations, or subtle transition sounds can help the listener imagine being on a college campus.
99% Invisible explores the design and architecture behind different things that people often overlook. The topic alone is super interesting to me, who looks at things through a design eye all the time. It uses narration, interviews, and carefully chosen sound to explain the subjects in a way that is super interesting.
I chose this, as it demonstrates how a simple topic can be broken down into a defined story rather than presented as a list of straight facts. I can use the same approach in my podcast with the stories, connecting them back to the related issue and explaining them.
Radiolab by WNYC Studios combines different elements, such as interviews, narration, music, and sound effects, to make complicated ideas much easier to follow along with. In addition, it uses sound design in a major way as a way to tell their stories.
I like how they use sound to help communicate a feeling or emphasize the important points of the story or lesson. For my podcast, I plan on using subtle music and campus ambience to help the listener understand the setting and get engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
This podcast is about revisiting unresolved moments from real people’s pasts, often having to do with relationships, regret, and/or difficult conversations.
I chose it as it shows how an audio project can be used to relate back to people’s emotions. This is somewhat what I’m looking to do with my podcast, as my stories are supposed to give listeners a perspective they might not already have, just like the Heavyweight podcast gives people a new perspective into their lives.
According to National Geographic, “Storytelling is universal to the human experience. Indeed, although it is likely impossible to prove, it has been suggested that storytelling developed not long after the development of language itself.” When looking at our everyday life, we see storytelling in so many aspects of it, including when we communicate with our peers and in entertainment like TV shows, movies, or music.
An area of storytelling which I find particularly interesting is when it comes to sports. There are so many storylines and elements that can be used to tell stories. When going through it, finding different details in unexpected places was very intriguing. Some examples that stick out to me included the hidden letters and symbols in the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken logos, the Houston-themed space imagery on the Astros’ City Connect jerseys, or the very detailed photorealistic gameday graphics created by the Carolina Hurricanes or the Florida Panthers. When looking into the details, it is very interesting to see the teams be able to shove all those details and meanings inside of everything.
In addition to the not-so-obvious ways, the sports broadcast always has some great stories. One of my favorites is when Alex Ovechican was chasing the NHL goal record. Both TNT and ESPN made this a super big deal and built this storyline between Alex Ovechican and the current goal-scoring leader, Wayne Greskey. The entire storyline was very interesting and really hooked viewers to the action.
Overall, storytelling is such an integral part of the human experience, and it is super interesting to see inside our everyday lives. Per Amplifi, “Utilize[ing] powerful pictures, videos, and other imagery [can] bring your story to life and your audience closer to your cause,” which is exactly why this is such an underrated part of sports storytelling. To read more about storytelling within sports, read More Than the Final Score: The Storytelling Behind Sports Media below:
Journey maps are very important for companies to imagine the thought process behind consumers. According to Nielsen Norman Group, “In its most basic form, journey mapping starts by compiling a series of user actions into a timeline. Next, the timeline is fleshed out with user thoughts and emotions in order to create a narrative. This narrative is condensed and polished, ultimately leading to a visualization.” Looking at journey maps as a whole, it is very useful when it comes to understanding the process and mindset of a customer ordering a specific product.
In this example, I took the example of a college student ordering off of the Dunkin app before an early class and being able to pick it up before that. The journey map goes through the story of Morgan Rodriguez and her morning process. She has a few morning classes, and she orders coffee and food off the Dunkin app beforehand. It shows the process of her deciding she wants food, ordering and customizing it on the app, finalizing the purchase, and eventually picking it up from the Dunkin location. This truly shows the entire process behind a student ordering a meal.
Yale University talks about the benefits of a journey map, saying, “At a high level, journey maps are a combination of storytelling, visual design, and empathy. When completed, your project team will have a complete idea of how your users interact with your website or application and have clear definitions of your pain points. The process of creating a journey map allows your team to have an internal conversation and avoid any possibility of assumption misalignments.” This is really important not only for the company but also to break down the pain points in the process. If Dunkin sees it takes too long for a person to customize their order on the journey map, they might know to adjust that portion of the app. It is very important to take this feedback and develop the app or program to make it work better for consumers.
All in all, it’s very important for companies to take user experiences and develop them into something better that will make more people interact with the app. This example shows Dunkin, but it can really work for any company. Following what the customers want is crucial to making them happy with the product.
Ideation Techniques are a great way to generate a good quantity and quality of ideas that can help improve different aspects of a brand. According to An Introduction to Design Thinking Process Guide, “Ideation is the mode of the design process in which you concentrate on idea generation. Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes. Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.” This truly shows how important it is when it comes to creating ideas and eventually building on them. I was able to take point-of-view statements created for Instagram, Uber, and Dunkin and used 12 different techniques to improve on the ideas.
One of the most useful ideation techniques is when you rapid-fire ideas out. This can be found in Brainwriting, Worst Possible Idea, Gamestorming, Braindump, Bodystorm, and many other of the techniques. These are super useful, no matter if the ideas are good or bad or postive nor negative, as it just gives you the ability to release the ideas out of your head. From there, you can tweak them and make them more suitable for the specific concept. Psych Central says, “Proponents of brain dumping say that its benefits include: helping you remember what you need to accomplish each day, clearing up headspace to learn more information, organizing your thoughts, improving focus and concentration, increasing self-awareness of thoughts and feelings, may decrease stress.” These are all very beneficial when creating ideas.
In addition, being able to take ideas from other successful products, like in Analogies, was very useful and personally worked well for me. Being able to see what brands like Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon do and translating it back is really practical. I did this for Dunkin in my example and was able to realize that they could personalize promotions and offers on the home screen like Spotify and Netflix do, giving users the option to “Order your usual” like Amazon, and reward customers for frequently getting drinks/food from them as many airlines’ loyalty programs do.
All in all, using ideation techniques is very valuable when trying to develop and improve on design ideas. As Interaction Design Foundation put it, “There are literally hundreds of ideation techniques. Here we’ve provided you with an overview of the best techniques as well as when and why to use them. Due to the nature of ideation, it is extremely important to make use of techniques that match the type of ideas you’re trying to generate.” After going through all 21 concepts, they are super practical and make it easy to create quality concepts.
Technology is all around us and is something we use in our everyday life. From our phones, computers, and television to even some more niche items like kitchen appliances and cars, technology and, more importantly, screens are heavily integrated into our everyday lives. No matter what we do, there will always be some sort of screen or display for us to interact with.
Technology is such a prominent part of our lives. Despite there being several major downsides, it seems like this is the way the future is. Being able to use screens responsibly is very important when carrying on and eventually building new technology.
When designing apps for consumers, it is important that you take their feedback into mind when making edits. Different users may use apps in different ways, so being able to understand a variety of perspectives is very valuable when working in user Interface and user experience design. According to Yale University, “By observing users as they complete tasks, you can uncover usability issues, validate design choices, and reduce costly mistakes before launch. Whether you’re testing early prototypes or live features, user testing gives you clear, evidence-based insights that drive better design and a smoother user experience.” The whole act of user testing is very important, no matter what area of design. I work in social media sports design, and I get several opinions on graphics before publishing to see how different people perceive them.
When it comes to app design, reviews are very important. Developers are able to get real feedback from the people who actually use the app and can update it based on both positive and negative reviews. When looking at two major apps, Instagram, Uber, and Dunkin, it was very clear to see that this feedback was very useful. Comments such as how the machinery app works, how the user uses the app, and when and where an app can be improved were all valuable things I saw written in the review section of the App Store. Some of the best examples of these can be found below:
“Love the app, but there’s an issue with the drop-downs for each section when there’s more than 5-6 options (e.g., Dairy, Unsweetened Flavors, Sweetened Flavors). Some of the options further down in the list are partially selectable but not fully visible, such as Protein Milk, Butter Pecan, etc. Recommend making these scrollable sections within the page. Thanks, Dunkin!”
“Favorite of the social media available by far. However, there are flaws such as not being able to see people who’ve unfollowed you/ people you follow that don’t follow you back, the “all” message button that, without permission, forces you to look at messages you’ve deliberately put on the restricted list, not being able to save story drafts consistently, etc.”
Something that was very respectable that I noticed is that Dunkin went back and responded to mostly all of the reviews left on their app. This is a very nice gesture the brand makes to connect back to their consumers. This right here just shows how important it is to take user information and feedback and translate it back. By taking this information, it can only help improve the app and make it easier for consumers and the brand alike.
When creating websites, it is important to target the design to the people actually using the website. According to Harvard’s Business School, “Target audience refers to the group of consumers most likely interested in your products or services, who should be the focus of your marketing campaign.” To help when building a website, professionals create personas to figure out the goals, motivations, reasoning, and frustrations that are likely to come from their target audience.
I think a great example of a persona is myself, funny enough. In the spring, my friends and I are planning to go to Costa Rica and are actively using Airbnb to book our trip. Going through the process of finding different places, comparing them to other places, talking with my group, and repeating is a very accurate part of the entire booking process, and I tried to reflect that in the actual persona. Airbnb definitely makes it easy to find different places, but it is interesting to see how the experiences match up.
This is the entire reason for the persona, so the people at Airbnb can see who is viewing their site, how they are using it, and what they are looking for. They can take this very valuable information and reflect it back into the design of the website or the marketing they do. Airbnb itself talks about their competitors and how they stand out, saying, “Others in the hospitality industry have also noted this trend, and we are flattered that those in the travel sector who were once skeptical of home sharing now seek to replicate the Airbnb model. Many traditional hospitality companies and the organizations they fund have resisted home sharing, spending millions of dollars to campaign against people sharing their homes. We are gratified to see these organizations now acknowledge that home sharing is an acceptable, and for many, preferred way to travel. While they were against it before, they are for it; it is better to arrive late than never arrive at all.” This information is very important when it comes to the users of the website and when and how they plan on using the site.
