🎧 What is the first audio detail you notice when evaluating whether a game’s sound design feels right?

✨ When the sound design truly works, I don’t consciously notice any single audio detail. If a specific sound draws my attention on first impression, it often means something is off. Good sound design should feel seamless and intuitive, supporting the animation so naturally that it’s felt rather than heard as a separate layer

🧩 Beyond mood and emotion, how does sound help structure gameplay and guide player attention?

🎵 A strong understanding of hierarchy in sound design helps shape how players perceive and prioritise gameplay events. Effective sound design requires knowing when audio should blend into the background and when it should amplify critical actions or story beats, ensuring the player intuitively understands what matters at any given moment.

🌀 Is there a specific moment in gameplay where audio becomes more important than visuals? Why?

✨ For me, audio and visuals shouldn’t compete for importance, since we process sight and sound through different senses. The strongest moments in gameplay are created when both work together, complementing and reinforcing each other to form a cohesive experience. One exception would be off-screen events, where the player can only rely on audio cues, so sound needs to communicate information clearly on its own.

💥 Games repeat by nature. What decisions help audio stay effective over long play sessions?

🎶 It’s important to avoid over-designing sounds and to maintain a strong sense of balance across the mix. Extensive playtesting with a wide range of players is essential, feedback often reveals when a sound that works initially becomes fatiguing over longer sessions. When that happens, it’s better to revisit the design and find a more subtle or flexible solution that supports the experience without drawing unnecessary attention to itself.

🧠 How do you develop and refine “good taste” in sound design, especially when feedback is subjective?

🎧❤️ Good taste in sound design develops by finding a balance between established industry standards and the freedom to push ideas forward. Staying aware of current trends helps build a solid foundation and a common language, while real refinement comes from experimentation, critical listening, and knowing when innovation truly supports the experience.

🛠️ What is a part of sound design that players never notice but would instantly miss if it were removed?

🎶 Subtle animation sounds are something players rarely notice consciously but immediately miss if they’re removed. Audio support for even small movements adds weight and realism, as long as it’s handled with restraint. Along with that, details like slight variations, smooth transitions between states, and careful spatialization all work quietly in the background to support immersion without calling attention to themselves.

🔍 How do you decide when a new tool or technique is actually improving your work rather than just adding complexity?

🎼⚡ I evaluate new tools or techniques based on whether they meaningfully improve my workflow. If a tool helps me work more efficiently, reduces the time needed to achieve a result, and maintains the same level of quality, or improves it, then it’s a genuine improvement rather than unnecessary complexity.

💬 What is one area where AI genuinely helps audio creators today, and one area where it should not interfere?

🚀 AI is most helpful when it’s used as a practical tool to support the creative process, for example, speeding up repetitive tasks, helping with organisation, or offering alternative perspectives during problem-solving. In those cases, it can save time and even spark new ideas. However, AI should not replace creative judgment or decision-making. Blindly relying on it can pull the work away from the intended artistic direction, which still needs to be guided by human taste, intent, and understanding of the experience.

🎹 Looking back, what changed most in the way you approach sound compared to earlier in your career?

🎮💡 Earlier in my career, I tended to approach sound design in a very intuitive way — I would start by placing sounds on the timeline and let the process lead me somewhere. As I’ve gained more experience, my approach has become more intentional. Now I first think about the characteristics a sound should have and the emotion it needs to convey. Once I have a clear idea of the sound in my head, I design with a specific direction in mind rather than discovering it purely by trial and error.

💬 What does iGamity represent to you in terms of creators and industry conversations?

🚀 To me, iGamity represents a platform that offers meaningful insight into the games industry while giving visibility to creators across different disciplines. By bringing voices from various departments into the spotlight, it helps broaden industry conversations. The content is accessible and engaging for regular users, while still providing value and perspective for industry professionals.