UI Sound Design

Overview

Sound in UI is a temporal channel: the auditory cortex processes sound in ~25ms vs ~250ms for vision (10x faster). A button that clicks feels faster than a silent one with identical visual feedback. Sound bridges the gap between action and response, and notification chimes are present in a room without requiring visual attention.

When sight and sound conflict, humans believe their ears ("auditory dominance in temporal processing"). This makes sound powerful but also dangerous if misused.

When to Use Sound

Sound Appropriateness Matrix