We’re Facing a Problem, and One That’s Yet to Hit Its Peak

In a sea of sameness, we’ve not only defeated the purpose of intentional branding, but we’re getting dangerously close to something worse: inaccessibility.
And I mean that in both the general sense, and for those who already struggle day to day

due to circumstances outside of their control.

I’ll break this into two points and rant at the end. Feel free to focus on your preferred annoyance.

Annoyance 1

When I first entered the world of sonic branding, I was immediately woken up to how it’s everywhere, and always has been.

Whether directly through brand marketing or as a byproduct of pop culture influence (if I had a piano right now, I’d play the two notes from Jaws - and yes, you’re hearing them in your head).

But at the same time, I saw how things began to fall into categories. Expectations of how industries should sound.

Automotive has a sound.

Sports has a sound (and a very similar one at that).

Fashion and luxury goods all have a sound.

From that point on, my job became understanding these sonic territories and figuring out new ways to find ownership, to break through that noise.

But if I’m honest, things seem to have gotten lazy.

I’m hearing, and frankly seeing, more copycat aesthetics week in and week out. Everyone wants a taste of what the big players are doing instead of carving out something unique of their own.

We’re blinded by trends and lost in a sea of white noise, where only heritage brands or those brave enough to actually show creative initiative are being recognised.

Sadly, instances of the latter are few and far between.

Annoyance 2

On the other side of the coin, we have functionality. Again, something I talk about daily: sound and music are functional tools, and if they’re not developed with that in mind from the start, then what’s the point?

In a world where our lives are basically cycles of whether or not we’re glued to a screen, I’d wager a larger percentage of our listening space is now given to notifications and 'functional' sounds - far more than we ever would’ve expected or wanted.

With new apps downloaded regularly to do everything from managing social media, to banking, to turning our washing machines on and off, we’re inundated with sounds designed to serve a function. Or at least, they should be.

When sound is used correctly, it can trigger a positive or negative response, communicate that something needs attention, or signal that something has been completed.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s also that simple.

It’s why music moves us emotionally, and why we have such strong reactions to the sounds in the world around us.

Now, when I’m using a piece of software for work, or when my taxi app gives me a bright, positive sound for something that should actually be treated as a failure or incomplete action, it annoys me - but I’ll get by.

However, put yourself in the shoes of someone who relies on sound to navigate the world.
Where vision isn’t an option, and those same false positive reinforcements now create confusion and distress.

Designing functional sound isn’t complicated. It just needs thought.

But we’re slowly drifting into a world of lazy production and last-minute efforts, where minor annoyances for you or me can mean something far more serious for someone else.
I’m certainly not the only one who feels this way, and I’d love to hear other perspectives or experiences of living in this new world of functional white noise.