Bells Design Soundtracks - Selection Page


 First-Year Engineering Student Senior Engineering Student Engineering Expert
Low Performing Design timeline of a first-year engineering student with a low quality design Design timeline of a senior engineering student with a low quality design Design timeline of an expert engineer with a low quality design
Average Performing Design timeline of a first-year engineering student with an average quality design Design timeline of a senior engineering student with an average quality design Design timeline of an expert engineer with an average quality design
High Performing Design timeline of a first-year engineering student with a high quality design Design timeline of a senior engineering student with a high quality design Design timeline of an expert engineer with a high quality design

Sound Mapping

Unblock Flash widget to play samples

PD - Problem Definition
E8 Bell (left ear)
GATH - Gathering Information
D8 Bell (right ear)
GEN - Generating Ideas
C6 Bell (left ear)
MOD - Modeling
A6 Bell (right ear)
FEAS - Feasibility Analysis
G6 Bell (left ear)
EVAL - Evaluation
E6 Bell (right ear)
DEC - Decision Making
D5 Bell (left ear)
COM - Communication
C5 Bell (right ear)

Soundtrack Version: The Bells

The Bells version of design soundtracks calls upon the vibrancy of bells hanging in a steeple. Each design activity is mapped to a bell of a specific tone on the pentatonic scale, with Problem Definition (PD) having the highest pitch. The percussive envelope of a ringing bell accentuates the onset of each new design activity and thus emphasizes importance of transitions in the design process.

Unfortunately, the strength of the Bells is also their downfall. Because of the quick decay of the percussive sound, large blocks of activities were forced to behave differently. Rather than ring for every note in the string, the software looks ahead and only rings every five events. This is heard as a steady ringing for long, solid blocks of time versus the chaotic one that occurs normally.

As with all design soundtracks, each activity is piped to either the right or left ear. This separation is noted in the sound samples table to the right.

Return to Design Soundtrack Index Page