SUNGJUN YU

WORK

                                                                                                                                                         





SOUND BRICK

Sound Brick is a reconfigurable modular system for sound exploration, designed to enhance auditory sense and perception through physical interaction. It offers a dynamic way to explore sound through direct, hands-on engagement. Rather than presenting sound as an abstract signal, Sound Brick invites users to listen, experiment, and discover how physical actions and modular configurations can shape auditory experience.

Its modular architecture allows users to control and modify sounds by adding, removing, or rearranging individual modules. This flexibility enables a wide range of sound interactions, as users experiment with different configurations and discover how sound components can be altered and combined. Through this process, Sound Brick offers an intuitive understanding of sound manipulation, making the exploration both accessible and engaging.

Each module within Sound Brick serves a unique function and belongs to one of two categories: sound control modules and sound making modules. Sound control modules process digital signals, allowing users to modify and shape sounds through physical interfaces, including knobs, buttons, and pressure-sensitive touch pads. These modules provide real-time control over sound properties, supporting dynamic adjustments and fine-tuning.

Sound making modules generate sounds through both physical and digital methods. Users can play physical elements, including percussion plates and cymbals, to produce acoustic sounds, or use the sampling module to record and alter new sounds. This combination of physical and digital sound exploration offers a platform for auditory creativity, encouraging users to explore the depth of sound.

By connecting sound creation with user interaction, Sound Brick delivers a multifaceted auditory experience. Whether used for education or personal creative exploration, it helps users create meaningful auditory experiences.


YEAR
2023

KEYWORDS
Human-Computer Interaction
Sound Interaction
Tangible Interface
Musical Interface
Education















MODULE TYPES








DEPLOYMENTS








BACKGROUND, IDEATION,  USER  RESEARCH

Sound Brick began with an interest in how human perception and sensory abilities can be developed through repeated interaction, guided practice, and environmental stimuli. The initial idea emerged during a Theory of Art Education class, where a discussion about students becoming less familiar with basic manual skills, such as cutting with scissors, led me to question how changes in environment, tools, and everyday practice affect human development. This curiosity gradually developed into a broader interest in how designed systems could help people refine the way they perceive, understand, and interact with the world.

This interest became more concrete through my experience as an art and design teacher. While teaching, I observed how students’ abilities, confidence, and ways of thinking changed depending on the structure of the lesson, the materials provided, and the way guidance was given. These experiences led me to think about designing systems that do more than present information. I became interested in how physical forms of sensory interaction, including touch, movement, and sound, could help users develop specific skills, sensitivities, or modes of perception through active engagement.

The concept of neuroplasticity provided a useful framework for understanding perception as something that can be shaped through experience, repetition, and external stimuli. Educational theories such as Lev Vygotsky’s More Knowledgeable Other and scaffolding also influenced the project, particularly in relation to guided learning. Rather than relying only on direct instruction, Sound Brick explores how an object or system can provide structure, feedback, and possibilities for discovery, allowing users to learn through interaction.

Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences further expanded the project by highlighting the diversity of human abilities, including bodily-kinaesthetic and musical intelligence. These ideas helped position sound exploration not only as an auditory activity, but also as an embodied and interactive process. Learning through play, curiosity, and motivation became important considerations in developing a system that could remain accessible while still encouraging meaningful exploration.

As part of the research process, I conducted interviews and user testing with people who had different relationships with sound, including musicians, sound engineers, educators, and general users. These conversations explored how people perceive, recognise, describe, and control auditory experiences. I also reviewed educational toys, sound learning tools, digital musical instruments, and music education systems to understand how existing products support sound interaction and where their limitations might be.

These research activities showed that even short periods of focused interaction could help users become more attentive to sound and more confident in controlling it. The insights from interviews, observations, and precedent research informed the development of Sound Brick as a reconfigurable modular system that enables users to explore sound through physical interaction, experimentation, and gradual discovery.












USER TESTING

User testing played an important role in shaping the development of Sound Brick. In the first prototype phase, both general users and professional musicians were invited to test a system that used digital sensors, including light detectors, motion sensors, pressure sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and humidity sensors, to control sound. Musicians responded positively to the system’s flexibility and creative potential, while general users often found the interaction difficult to understand.

Many participants were unsure how their actions affected the sound, and the technical appearance of the modules made some users hesitant to touch or experiment with the system. This feedback revealed a gap between the project’s intention and the way users actually experienced the prototype. It became clear that the system needed to reduce technical complexity and make the relationship between physical action and auditory feedback more direct.

The second prototype therefore focused on simplicity, physical interaction, and clearer feedback. Instead of relying mainly on abstract digital controls, the redesigned system introduced more direct sound-making modules, including solenoid-driven percussion elements, sampling, and playback features. During subsequent user testing, participants engaged with the modules more quickly and with less hesitation. Even users with no prior experience were able to begin exploring the system within a short time.

Frequent testing sessions also suggested the system’s potential as a tool for auditory learning. Long-term testers became more attentive to differences in sound and more confident in recognising, modifying, and combining sound elements. Feedback from these sessions informed further refinements, helping Sound Brick develop into a system that could support both casual exploration and more intentional sound-based learning.