Locative Media as Sonic Interaction Design: Walking through Placed Sounds

This article proposes a taxonomy of mobile sound (art) with four categories – “musical instruments”, “sonifying mobility”, “sound platforms” and “placed sounds” – that each present distinct ways of articulating sonic mobility. The category “placed sounds” is explored in more detail by outlining a recently emerged range of locative audio genres, including touristic, historical, educational, musical, and experimental themes as well as fiction and games. This article argues that the concept of “Sonic Interaction Design” is of particular importance in the mobile context where audiences or users are already suffering from visual overload. It discusses how walking is key to the interaction design of placed sound.