intuition

illustration by Wu Yi Ting

 

Intuition
noun

the ability to understand something instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning.

 

The sounds we hear on a daily basis play an essential role in helping us get through the day. But for something so vital, this process of auditory cognition comes to us instinctively — it’s not something we had to be taught to do.

The following excerpt is from a book called Auditory Cognition and Human Performance: Research and Applications by Carryl L. Baldwin.

 

Being able to hear and understand sounds—auditory processing—greatly enriches our lives and enables us to accomplish many tasks essential to survival. Although we engage in this process continuously throughout our lives, many may fail to appreciate that the seemingly automatic task of auditory processing often involves considerable mental effort to accomplish.

In the book, Baldwin covers fascinating techniques that our brains and ears use to make sense of raw sounds for survival, and to inform our emotions, among many others. She also touches on how certain situations can compromise the mental resource requirements of auditory processing.

Aside from the underrated work our bodies put in, I am also drawn to the phenomenon of hearing a familiar sound or piece of music and instinctively reliving memories that, while ephemeral and fleeting, can also be vivid and emotional.

I’m interested in further investigating and highlighting the magic of auditory intuition.

 

  G O A L S  ( W I P )  

  • to highlight this automatic process of auditory cognition, something that is so intrinsically tied to us, but is also something we hardly think about
  • to condense and organise the information, creating something visually stimulating to present to an non-scientific audience
  • to inject a human touch to a scientifically dense topic

 

  L I M I T A T I O N S  /  C O N C E R N S  

  • As a design student, I don’t possess an great deal of knowledge on this topic. I would be relying on secondary research (and if possible, reaching out to people who are better equipped in the science or auditory realm than me). However, I’m hoping I can use my position as a tool to visualise and make sense of the information that’s out there.
  • I’m also thinking if I should incorporate personal interviews with people about their memories triggered by sound (in reference to my initial direction a few weeks ago). Still thinking where (and if) that would fit in.

 

  C A S E   S T U D I E S  

1. MAGMA | Magazine design by Cristóbal Riesco

 

2. SPACE: ART + SCIENCE by Anna Kuts

 

3. Staples by Kenya Hara

We need to think about what we have been eating all this time, the things that have been keeping us alive. We take staple foods for granted but they are also the starting point for human happiness and pride. When you are able to look at things as if for the first time, the world seems to shine and we get a new perspective.”

“… [this installation] is not an opinion or a statement, but rather the presentation of a quiet realisation. When something we know already appears unknown to us, that is the time when our knowledge can advance to the next level.”

— Kenya Hara

 

* Although the subject matter and desired outcomes are different, I’m inspired by his views towards the ordinary, and it is something I would like to apply to my project.

 

4. Slack: Communication Without Chaos

 

I’m inspired by their use of abstract geometric shapes to illustrate information.

Published by

Debbie Ng

Head in the clouds 90% of the time

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