Bodies and Sound
- 5 Sound Locations Sampled
- 4+ Output Formats
- 1 3D Printed Prototype
For my Master of Design thesis at NSCAD University, I asked a question that sits at the intersection of sustainability, health, and design: how can design create awareness around sound pollution and its effects on human wellbeing?
The thesis explored this through research, in-field sound sampling, and a final product concept: an aesthetically-driven earplug designed to function as jewellery. The idea was to normalize ear protection by making it beautiful and visible, something you'd wear proudly, not hide.
What I Made
- Conducted in-field research gathering sound samples across 5 locations, then graphically analyzed and visualized the findings
- Designed multiple thesis infographics connecting sound pollution data to stress and health outcomes
- Created original soundscapes as part of the multidisciplinary output
- Developed 3D printed mockups of the earplug-as-jewellery concept with final product renderings in multiple colorways
- Designed a full thesis book and process book from scratch, largely self-directed
- Built a documentation website to accompany the thesis work throughout the process
The Design Thinking
The earplug as jewellery concept worked on two levels: functional and cultural. Functionally, it delivered hearing protection. Culturally, it made that protection legible, the decorative element emerging from the ear became a quiet signal that acoustic health matters.
What I didn't know at the time was that a product bearing striking similarity to this concept, Loop earplugs, would launch and become mainstream shortly after. I had 3D printed the prototype before I'd ever heard of them. That convergence still feels like confirmation that the instinct was right.
