Abstract
Sound-driven design requires shared objects to bridge disciplinary divides and support collaboration between diverse expertise. Boundary Objects and Intermediary Objects typically fulfil this need, yet the ephemerality of sound is in apparent conflict with the stability needed for this boundary work. However, we argue for extending the object beyond the ephemeral sound wave to encompass tools, user interfaces, methods, and lexicons that provide material persistence. To support this we develop an analytical framework combining BO and IO properties and apply it to a selection of sound design tools in the literature. We argue that the required interpretive flexibility and perceived stability arises through the inherent plasticity of listening: different stakeholders actively construct stable, relevant meaning through situated interpretation. We propose the term "Soundary Objects" for artefacts and processes where listening's plasticity is the key mechanism enabling boundary work in sound-driven design, suggesting directions for designing effective socio-technical mediation tools.
Keywords
Boundary / Intermediary Objects; Sound-driven Design; Sound design tools; Methodology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1850
Citation
Delle Monache, S., Murray-Rust, D., Özcan, E., and Misdariis, N. (2026) Beyond ephemerality: Boundary objects and the plasticity of listening in collaborative design, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1850
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Beyond ephemerality: Boundary objects and the plasticity of listening in collaborative design
Sound-driven design requires shared objects to bridge disciplinary divides and support collaboration between diverse expertise. Boundary Objects and Intermediary Objects typically fulfil this need, yet the ephemerality of sound is in apparent conflict with the stability needed for this boundary work. However, we argue for extending the object beyond the ephemeral sound wave to encompass tools, user interfaces, methods, and lexicons that provide material persistence. To support this we develop an analytical framework combining BO and IO properties and apply it to a selection of sound design tools in the literature. We argue that the required interpretive flexibility and perceived stability arises through the inherent plasticity of listening: different stakeholders actively construct stable, relevant meaning through situated interpretation. We propose the term "Soundary Objects" for artefacts and processes where listening's plasticity is the key mechanism enabling boundary work in sound-driven design, suggesting directions for designing effective socio-technical mediation tools.