Wildling – Regenerative Sounds
A calming experience as an antidote to retail therapy
Wildling is a B Corp-certified footwear company with the goal of making a positive impact by focussing on regenerative sustainability. To highlight their ongoing collaboration with Rewilding Europe, we were approached to design an interactive experience with sounds from Jonas Urbat.
wildling.shoes/regenerative-sounds
Experience Rewilding
To bring attention to the nature conservation efforts of Rewilding Europe and Wildling in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, we wanted visitors of the site to experience the idea of re:generation in a direct and visceral way.
Using sounds and visuals recorded in the region, the experience gives visitors a chance to take a break from everyday noise and bring them closer to nature. Putting the purpose ahead of the product, the goal was to create a fun interactive experience that lets users have a moment of mindfulness.
Translating sound into visuals
Audio artist Jonas Urbat recorded sounds on site while visiting the Rhodope Mountains. These served as the foundation for three different soundscapes or themes (morning, afternoon and night) that users can interact with.
In order to visualize the sounds, we looked into using organic shapes that mirror the rythm of the sound and serve as a clipping mask for imagery to put it in context with the project.
Designing a UI that gets out of the way
We wanted the design of the site to be as unobtrusive and simple as possible, allowing the sounds and visuals to be front and center.
The controls blend in with the visualisation and can be hidden at any time so users can focus on the experience. Depending on the time of day, different backgrounds are available and colors of the interface adjust to the mood.
