OVERVIEW
We developed the sonic brand strategy and product sounds for OpenPhone, a new all-in-one phone system for teams. As a telecom platform for calls and messaging, built with small businesses and startups in mind, we created sounds that support an experience that's simple and delightful, while also appealing to emerging entrepreneurs.
OVERVIEW
We developed the sonic brand strategy and product sounds for OpenPhone, a new all-in-one phone system for teams. As a telecom platform for calls and messaging, built with small businesses and startups in mind, we created sounds that support an experience that's simple and delightful, while also appealing to emerging entrepreneurs.
SERVICES
UX/Product Sound Design, Sonic Brand Strategy
APPLICATION
Customer Service, Telecommunications, Mobile App, Desktop App
OPPORTUNITY
As a new company in the competitive telecom space, OpenPhone set out to differentiate themselves from other enterprise solutions by focusing on the needs of small businesses and startups. In providing calling tools aimed at smaller collaborative teams, OpenPhone wanted to create a brand and product experience that's approachable and fun, while still being savvy and thoughtful in a way that's relevant to a professional environment.
PROCESS
In order to develop a full suite of product sounds that would be heard throughout the OpenPhone platform on desktop and mobile, we needed to begin by defining a distinct sonic brand palette. Leveraging four key brand attributes — Simple, Delightful, Modern, and Premium — we established how the brand comes to life through sound.
BRAND DNA
Simple: Clear and concise, accessible and unobtrusive; serving a larger purpose while remaining in the background
Delightful: Warm, open, engaging, and fun; conveying a pleasing and unexpected nature that doesn’t wear out its welcome
Modern: Savvy, inventive, and in-step with culture; projecting a clear vision that’s relevant and can stand the test of time
Premium: Thoughtful, customized, and high-fidelity; a distinct and holistic experience to satisfy discerning tastes of the target audience
SOLUTION
Our approach to the user experience was to subtly capture attention without growing tiring over time. We wanted to reduce distractions and design clearly differentiated sounds to prevent confusion.
Through consistent music instrumentation and melody, we designed recognizable sonic relationships based on function (for example, message sent and received). The sounds needed to feel related but distinct enough to convey different intentions.
The result was a robust set of sounds that are crisp and concise with rounded tonalities and ascending major key melodies, which are pleasing when heard throughout the day and support the workflow without taking up mental space.
We also created two custom hold music tracks that range from laidback lofi beats to uptempo electronic pop. The compositions help define the brand through music, while also providing flexibility to OpenPhone users to choose the right mood and personality to suit their own preferred experience.
IMPACT
The product sounds and hold music we created have established a sonic foundation for the emerging brand, differentiating OpenPhone within the competitive landscape with a holistic suite of audio assets and sonic strategy that can be adapted for both product and marketing needs as the brand continues to grow.
"We chose Listen because we were impressed by their past work, so we went into our first project with high expectations. Still, we were pleasantly surprised at how Listen was able to guide us through the process of understanding our values, brand attributes and give us lots of options to finally settle on our perfect set of app sounds. It's no surprise we came back for a second project and will continue to work with the team on future needs."
- Mahyar Raissi, CEO
SERVICES
UX/Product Sound Design, Sonic Brand Strategy
APPLICATION
Customer Service, Telecommunications, Mobile App, Desktop App
OPPORTUNITY
As a new company in the competitive telecom space, OpenPhone set out to differentiate themselves from other enterprise solutions by focusing on the needs of small businesses and startups. In providing calling tools aimed at smaller collaborative teams, OpenPhone wanted to create a brand and product experience that's approachable and fun, while still being savvy and thoughtful in a way that's relevant to a professional environment.
PROCESS
In order to develop a full suite of product sounds that would be heard throughout the OpenPhone platform on desktop and mobile, we needed to begin by defining a distinct sonic brand palette. Leveraging four key brand attributes — Simple, Delightful, Modern, and Premium — we established how the brand comes to life through sound.
BRAND DNA
Simple: Clear and concise, accessible and unobtrusive; serving a larger purpose while remaining in the background
Delightful: Warm, open, engaging, and fun; conveying a pleasing and unexpected nature that doesn’t wear out its welcome
Modern: Savvy, inventive, and in-step with culture; projecting a clear vision that’s relevant and can stand the test of time
Premium: Thoughtful, customized, and high-fidelity; a distinct and holistic experience to satisfy discerning tastes of the target audience
SOLUTION
Our approach to the user experience was to subtly capture attention without growing tiring over time. We wanted to reduce distractions and design clearly differentiated sounds to prevent confusion.
Through consistent music instrumentation and melody, we designed recognizable sonic relationships based on function (for example, message sent and received). The sounds needed to feel related but distinct enough to convey different intentions.
The result was a robust set of sounds that are crisp and concise with rounded tonalities and ascending major key melodies, which are pleasing when heard throughout the day and support the workflow without taking up mental space.
We also created two custom hold music tracks that range from laidback lofi beats to uptempo electronic pop. The compositions help define the brand through music, while also providing flexibility to OpenPhone users to choose the right mood and personality to suit their own preferred experience.
IMPACT
The product sounds and hold music we created have established a sonic foundation for the emerging brand, differentiating OpenPhone within the competitive landscape with a holistic suite of audio assets and sonic strategy that can be adapted for both product and marketing needs as the brand continues to grow.
"We chose Listen because we were impressed by their past work, so we went into our first project with high expectations. Still, we were pleasantly surprised at how Listen was able to guide us through the process of understanding our values, brand attributes and give us lots of options to finally settle on our perfect set of app sounds. It's no surprise we came back for a second project and will continue to work with the team on future needs."
- Mahyar Raissi, CEO