Back



The Sound

2024

The Sound is a public design scheme for accessible travel, aimed at visually impaired users. It uses personalised audio as a navigation medium, providing targeted, real-time guidance at each step.

The project is informed by field observations of the London Underground, where damaged tactile paving, interrupted routes, and high ambient noise make public announcements unreliable. At the same time, the city’s information systems prioritise visual communication at almost every level.





This leads to clear limitations. Many visually impaired users rely on companions or staff when travelling. Independent route planning is difficult, and spontaneous journeys are rare. The Sound proposes a continuous, low-interference personal navigation channel to support independent movement.




How does it work? Pressure-sensitive devices embedded in the ground respond to each step. Signals are transmitted in real time to Bluetooth headphones, providing directional guidance based on location, including turns, straight paths and platform positions. Navigation is shifted from public announcements to a personal audio stream, improving precision without adding noise.

The project also includes a redesigned Tube map that combines Braille elements with voice-activated input. This introduces auditory interaction to a flat map, allowing users to understand routes in their own way before travelling.