Thunder: um processo de design para criar visualizações musicais com foco na comunicação emocional

Abstract

Music is widely recognized for its ability to evoke complex emotional states and has been increasingly integrated into various interactive experiences. In this context, music visualizations – visual representations generated from sonic information – have gained relevance as a complementary resource to auditory perception. However, the creation of such visualizations still lacks systematic processes to guide designers in making visual decisions that align with the emotional content of the music. In this work, We aim to develop and evaluate a design process focused on creating emotionally expressive music visualizations. The research was structured in six steps: (1) a literature review on audio and Player Experience (PX), followed by a bibliographic study on music visualizations; (2) an emotional experience assessment of five music visualizations; (3) iterative development of the Thunder design process; (4) preliminary application of Thunder in the creation of new visualizations; (5) expert evaluation of the process; and (7) development and evaluation of the Thunder User Guide, a digital tool designed to support the execution of the process. The results demonstrate that Thunder (1) fosters alignment between user perception and the intended emotional expression of the visualization, (2) was perceived as clear, applicable, and potentially formative, and (3) includes a usage guide with positive usability reception. As a contribution, this work presents a systematic process for creating emotionally expressive music visualizations. It benefits visual designers and artists, who can rely on a structured framework to support their creative decisions; researchers in Music, Art, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), who are provided with a methodological foundation for investigating emotion and visuality; and creators of interactive experiences – such as games, immersive exhibitions, and digital narratives – who may integrate more expressive music visualizations to enhance emotional engagement with their audiences.