Structure Brainstorm Site

Design Phase: Sonification Toolkit for Journalists

This is a brainstorming space for the high-level structure.
This is NOT the toolkit; it's an outline.
Your feedback is appreciated! (Aura, Fellow @ RJI)

Scroll down to explore the sections of the toolkit

Conceptual Overview

This section will introduce the concept of data sonification, developing a framework of vocabulary and ideas for the rest of the toolkit. It will address items such as:

  • Definition: What is data sonification?
  • Benefits: What are the benefits of sonification? (emotion, accessibility, narration)
  • Applications: What are the possible applications in journalism and information design?
  • Methodology: Methods of sonification (parameter mapping, "punk" sonification...)
  • Mapping: How are you transferring data features to audio features (e.g. pitch, timbre, tempo, volume…)?
  • Aesthetic: How are you considering musicality, data precision, and user experience?
  • Goals: What is the goal of your sonification?

Example Archive

Sonification Projects in Journalism

Here are some possible formats for archiving:

  • An external website that pulls from a database
  • A sortable table embedded directly into the toolkit
  • Airtable or Google Sheet solutions
  • Something else? What do you think?

I want this archive to be supplemental to The Data Sonification Archive. (Contacting Sara Lenzi!)

Sonification Roadmap

This section would provide steps for how to create your sonification project.
Similar resources to consider:
Decibels Community “Getting Started” Guide, The Data Sonification Canvas…

Steps along the roadmap (what's missing?):

  1. Choose your data
  2. Brainstorm your design
  3. Choose your method
  4. Consider your story and audience
  5. Test, adjust, repeat
  6. Export for publication

Sonification Tools & Methods

Resources, Guides, Documentation

Quick-Start Exercises

Community

Sonification Interviews (Podcast)

Contact, Collaborate, Contribute