Peloton

Sound Design

Deliverables

Audio UX for Full Product Line, Audio Brand Strategy, Brand Music

Application

Peloton Bike, Tread, Rower, Gaming, and Guide

Sound Design Project Overview

Over the last several years, we’ve been fortunate to have Peloton as one of our primary clients. Throughout the ongoing partnership, we’ve served as an embedded team member of their UX and Brand Design teams, developing their Peloton sounds, audio brand strategy, and audio UX ecosystem that spans their entire product line (Bike, Tread, Rower, and Guide), as well as their gaming platform (Lanebreak). Our work created a cohesive sound identity that enhanced the user experience and Peloton’s brand.

Peloton’s Sound of Exertion

After our initial discovery phase, we began designing the Startup sound that would be used across all products and also as a sound logo for marketing. The Startup sound became the foundation for exploring how Peloton’s design principles could come to life, while capturing the sound of exertion, an essential part of the workout experience. We also integrated authentic Peloton sounds recorded from the product itself, creating a direct line back to the flagship device that put the brand on the map.

The Startup Peloton Sound was the perfect starting point for setting a foundation in design. This is what users first hear when logging in and will also hear as a Sound Logo in campaigns driving recall and setting the tone for the brand all up.

Design Sound Principles

Working alongside the ux and brand team, we decided to focus our efforts into communicating four core design principles that guided us to design a holistic system spanning product, marketing and gaming while remaining flexible for each intended touchpoint. We initially set our focus on designing for Guide which was Peloton’s newest TV connected device. This set a strong foundation for the audio ux language could then be adapted to other products.

Spanning the Ecosystem

Once we finalized design for Guide, we pivoted to Rower, Tread and Bike. Seeing that the core brand and ux language was established, it became a smooth and easy task of finding areas where we could reuse, or modify, existing design to fit in the right context of different interactions for different devices. This allowed us to maintain a holistic design system that had enough flexibility for its intended device and exercise context.

Peloton Sounds & Alerts

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    Purpose Built

    Tactile, minimal palette designed to add feel and inform

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    Kinetic & Dynamic

    Use of motion and musicality for hero and brand moments

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    Premium

    Design with a clear, weighted feel

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    Accessible

    Understandable alerts and warnings for low vision users

Various UX

Lanebreak Gaming

As we were wrapping up the audio ux for Peloton, they pulled us into working with them on their new foray into gaming on Bike and Tread.  We worked alongside Peloton’s ux team and their extended gaming partner to create the menu music, menu ux and in game sound design for Lanebreak that helped to bring the game to life. The expansion into interactive sound gave us a new frontier to explore Peloton sounds as part of an immersive, gamified fitness journey. Check out an in-depth case study of Lanebreak in the Work section of our site.

Extending the DNA to Gaming

The approach of creating sound for gaming is typically very different from creating brand or ux sound, but we saw this as an opportunity to extend the Peloton brand palette and add a bit more color and dynamics to engage the players of Lanebreak. Menu music was designed to get the player into a more focussed headspace before joining their workout.  Audio UX uses the foundational palette as all Peloton ux while adding some texture and reactivity for exciting moments like starting a game. The in game sound design is where we took a departure to really support game play with something rich and ethereal supporting the futuristic, space like environment.

Menu Music & UX

Music & Sound Design

Bringing Peloton Sounds Into Motion

Our work with Peloton continues to evolve as the company expands into new products, platforms, and formats. From startup sounds to workout cues to full gaming soundscapes, every detail is built to support performance, emotion, and brand identity. Contact us to explore how custom sound design can elevate your product experience.

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Google Firefly

Deliverables

Audio UX for In Vehicle and AVAS

Application

In Vehicle and External AVAS Speaker

Project Overview

When Google approached us to create both the in car audio experience and engine tone for their self driving car, we jumped at the opportunity. Working alongside their design and ux team, we wanted to create a soundscape that is reflective of Google’s brand audio design language while providing more richness and immersion for the in car experience.

Design System

Once we kicked off the project, we held a listening workshop to understand how we wanted to flex the Google audio language to a new use case. From the listening workshop, we learned that we wanted to index on four key characteristics supporting the brand and in car experience. In communicating this we leaned into a tonal palette that was approachable, informative, immersive and delightful.

Design System

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    Approachable

    Soft timbres alongside simple melodic cues

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    Immersive

    Low end alongside warm textures

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    Delightful

    Major key melodic flourishes

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    Informative

    Melodic framework to distinguish high severity alerts from neutral or delightful moments

Process

During our design process, we worked closely with the ux team in testing design concepts early to make sure the in car experience felt right, but also took spectral analysis of the electric engine tone (AVAS) to make sure it would pass the federal requirement. After three months of iterative design, we were able to narrow down a select set used for in car alerts as well as an AVAS tone that passed the new federal requirement which was a huge milestone as it was one of the first EV engine tones to be approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.

Uber Eats

Deliverables

Audio Brand Strategy, Audio UX, App Sound Design

Application

Uber Eats / Uber Driver App

Project Overview

After working with Uber on their audio brand strategy and audio user experience design for the Uber driver app, we were asked to create more sounds for their Uber Eats platform. After several stakeholder interviews and a competitive audit, we decided that we wanted to keep the sounds in the same brand family as the Uber Driver app to keep brand consistency and differentiate from other ordering and delivery platforms.

Design System

The overarching design system we developed for Uber supports three primary design principles that are core to the brand. In communicating these principles, we leaned into a tonal palette that is clean, minimal and communicative while being differentiated from others in the competitive space and highly effective in a range of environments.

Design System

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    Motion and Speed

    Delay and flutter adding depth and the feel of speed or motion

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    Premium and Clear

    Multilayered timbres, muted tones contrasted with brighter tones

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    Sense of Reward

    Melodies and timbres that give a delightful, rewarding feel

Clover

Deliverables

Audio UX and Audio Brand Strategy

Application

All Clover POS Systems

Project Overview

The point-of-sale experience is often rushed and frustrating, so when Clover approached us to redesign the sound experience for their POS system, we were eager to create a more seamless and delightful soundscape. Since speed and ease are central to their product and design system, we focused on highlighting these elements while reimagining the traditional role of sound in this setting.

Reframing the Transaction

Traditionally, cash registers and ATM readers produce loud, jarring sounds, but during our initial discovery process, we identified an opportunity to introduce a softer, more organic soundscape. By incorporating piano and metallic accents, we created functional sounds for these environments that feel both familiar and optimistic. Instead of the harsh beeps card readers usually emit, we used positive melodic phrases and consistent instrumentation to better reflect the product’s essence and brand promise.

Product Startup

Transaction Success

Brand Sound In Commercial Use

Sound Strategy at Scale

Our sound strategy was designed to deepen trust and elevate the user experience—while also adding color, character, and memorability to the brand across TV and social. The result? A distinct audio identity that’s helped position them as a standout leader in the POS space.

Clover UX Sound Ecosystem

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    Startup

    Branded moment that sets the tone for the ecosystem

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    Insert

    Crisp, tactile, affirming that card is safely inserted

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    Success

    Positive confirmation that payment is approved

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    Warning

    Non intrusive, repeated phrase when customer leaves card inserted too long

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    Tip

    Clean, tonal expression of thank you for tipping

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    Error

    Subtle nudge when there is an error in transaction

Telling the Story

As Clover began to roll out the new sound design across all of their POS systems, people took notice and we were lucky to be called upon to talk about this design in Adobe’s Wireframe Podcast. Click to the right to hear more about the thinking that went into this new design.

Link to Episode

The Sound of Finance and POS

Our work with Clover has made an impact on how companies in the financial and POS space are considering sound to enhance their brand perception. Contact us to explore how custom sound design can elevate your product experience.

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VUDU

Deliverables

Short and Long Form Sound Logos

Application

TV Commercials, Audio Advertising, Social Media, Digital Content

Project Overview

As VUDU was approaching a rebrand, they approached us to create a short form and long form sound logo that would be used for advertising, social and for their in app launch screen. With the streaming services sector being a very competitive market, we saw this as an opportunity to introduce something fresh and dynamic that could build equity for the brand and delight users as they entered the streaming service site.

Creating Excitement — Designing Immersion

The brief from VUDU was simple — How can we design a moment that creates excitement as people enter our world and how can we immerse users into the experience before they’re even watching the film or show. In order to do this, we decided to create a textural logo that uses a range of layers filling in the full frequency spectrum alongside airy, major key chords and subtle hint of melody that dynamically play off of one another.

Long Form Sound Logo

Short Form Sound Logo

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Lucid Motors

Elevating Automotive Sound Design

Deliverables

Sonic Branding, Strategy and UX Sound Design for Lucid Air

Application

In Car UX, TV Advertising, Digital, Social

Lucid Air Project Overview

Lucid Motors challenged us to match their groundbreaking design with an equally refined sonic identity. Over two years, we collaborated closely with their brand and UX teams to craft a cohesive sound ecosystem for the Lucid Air – representing a new standard in automotive sound design. Our approach has shaped a modern standard for automotive sound design, built around emotion, elegance, and intention.

The Sound of Future Luxury

Designing sound for the Lucid Air meant balancing clarity with character. While usability came first, we also aimed to capture Lucid’s vision of future luxury and intelligent design. We crafted a warm, rich sound palette using layered harmonics, spatial depth, and flowing melodic phrases. Inspired by the idea of air and motion, we wove in natural sonic textures to enhance immersion and reflect the brand’s distinctive voice.

Future Luxury System

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    Melodic Phrasing

    Soft rhodes phrasings that blend together

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    Harmonic Textures

    Harmonic textures that add depth

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    Organic Textures

    Organic textures that give a sense of space and movement

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    Warm Harmonic Beds

    Rich harmonic beds that ground the soundscape

Designing a System for Automotive Sound

The Lucid Air sound system was designed with a high level of detail and intention—building emotional resonance while supporting intuitive driver interaction. From startup sequences to turn signals and alerts, every element serves a purpose. By embedding audio into the overall product design process, we helped Lucid deliver an experience where automotive sound design enhances both usability and luxury.

The welcome experience and ringtone are both longer form key brand moments. For Welcome, we created a melody that follows the 5 letters in Lucid while having a soft, ethereal textures to support the visuals of the car waking up.

Spectrum of Design

Every UX sound ecosystem starts with intent. We begin by mapping interactions along a spectrum – from Branded to Functional, and Calm to Urgent. In automotive sound design, scaling urgency is critical: sound must clearly cue driver response without causing distraction. This framework guides how we shape sonic behaviors across the experience balancing brand expression with functional clarity.

Branded Sounds: More layered, colorful or melodic and longer form.

Functional Sounds: Simplistic, minimal layers, less melodic, shorter form.

Calm Sound: Softer timbre, low to mid range frequencies, slower cadence patterns, longer decay, consonant harmony.

Urgent Sounds: Percussive timbre, higher range frequencies, faster cadence patterns, tight decay, potential dissonant harmony

Spectrum of Design Examples

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    Branded (Welcome)

    Layered, colorful or melodic and longer form

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    Functional (Turn Signal)

    Simplistic, minimal layers, less melodic

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    Calm (Seatbelt Chime)

    Softer timbre, slower cadence patterns, longer decay, consonant harmony

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    Urgent (Cross Traffic Protection)

    Percussive timbre, higher range frequencies, faster cadence patterns, tight decay, potential dissonant harmony

Let’s Talk Automotive Sound Design

Looking to elevate your in-car experience through purposeful sound. We create automotive sound design systems that combine utility, emotion, and identity. Contact us to start building your sonic experience.

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