 The Use of Sound at a Particular Website
I have found the use of sound at the New York City Map website quite interesting because I think it truly enhances the web pages as well as the website as a whole.
First of all, the use of sound seems to pull the viewer into the urban environment making the viewer feel as though s/he is really there in New York City.
For instance, not only can I see the people and the sceneries of New York, I can also hear the everyday sounds of New York City life.
Secondly, the sounds often provide more information about an image (as with a narrator of a book).
For example, without the music playing in the background on this page, the viewer will have trouble identifying what is really happening in the image.
But with the music playing, we can immediately presume that the man is saxophonist who is trying to earn a living out in the streets.
Another interesting aspect is how the silence of some pages counteracts with the many sounds of the other pages; this allows the viewer to depart from all the sounds of city life.
I have also found that silence seems to freeze time while the repetitive sound in the background suggests the passing of time.
Ways of Using Sound in Assignment #2
For Assignment #2, my group and I will definitely use sounds in the background to establish a setting or a mood.
For instance, as soon as the viewer “falls” down the hole near the beginning of the site, a strange sound will start playing (perhaps the sound of a time warp).
In this situation, the user has no control over the sound; the sound will loop on and on until he or she clicks the image and enters the next page (or “reaches” the ground).
Another way of incorporating sound is to allow the viewer to have some degree of control over it.
When the user comes across a house, castle, or cottage, the sound of a creaking door or the sound of someone knocking on a door will play (perhaps only once) each time the viewer points the cursor at the door.
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