Websites. Those digital fountains of wealth and entertainment that we frequently find ourselves subjected to hours at a time. The pure fact that this concept (World Wide Web) exists is absolutely unbelievable. I can easily pop online, smack down a line of text and instantly search the vast universe of its music, reviews, opinions, news, tv shows, biographies, books, stores, blah blah, etc. With the Web's popularity being so massively outstanding, what is preventing most of its content from being displayed attractivly and professionally? Of course there are the amatuer exceptions, posting their sites for reasons "unknown," at least other than to provide valuable information... but I'm talking here about the professional web sites we intentionally search for, that cater, in our opinion, priceless information... and even more specifically, websites that provide content dedicated to the entertainment of sorts. Believe it or not, we encounter various web pages with the anticipation that we'll become self inspired or self motivated. Is it any wonder why it's such a let down when our experiences with certain sites are dull and/or dysfunctional?
Personally, I feel like websites have a very large amount of potential for artistic expression, not only visually but acoustically as well. Let's ignore that fact that businesses, clubs, schools, etc. have to throw up blunt facts about each one's particular organization and focus on the pure opportunity that's available for Web Art. Not only could this bring your creative work to the doorstep of every computer user in the world, but it allows for interactive art that once could only be implemented through an installation.
Sound Design. This idea of designing sound for the web could complement an aesthetically pleasing interactive canvas in very special ways. Mouse overs and clicks initiating mysterious short tones. Waves of ambiance could float through the background. Loops activating manipulated field recordings or processed speech. As we create what seems to be the most basic of ideas for implementing sound design into interactive web applications, our creative minds can explore the further possibilities of human-computer interaction in sound. A perfect example of great sound design within a web environment is GameZombie.tv's "Bloodmap." A great visual, yet even better sound design created by Chris Bates. Also, the famous sound designer, Richard Devine has an extraordinary website which really focuses on the sound you hear as you interact with his site. Visit his page and listen as you mouse over certain buttons and over various subtle things in the background. He has truly created a wonderful experience for the visiter, using sound as his driving force.
We know audio deserves a larger role, let's give it the opportunity to flourish.
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