CHI 2025 · Design Concept Prototype

AI-Mediated Soundscapes
for Focus & Recovery

A continuous auditory interface across the knowledge worker's day — from deep focus to pre-sleep preparation.

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Daily arc
Focus Transition Recovery Pre-sleep
FocusWeave
Adaptive noise masking layer. Organises disruption rather than eliminating it — keeping you safe-but-uninterrupted.
Masking intensity 65%
Variability Low
Focus block duration 90 min
READY
Scenario
Minji activates FocusWeave at the start of her morning deep-work block. Delivery alerts, corridor conversations, and keyboard noise are not eliminated — they are pushed into the perceptual background. "Not blocked, but less intrusive."
User-defined rules
  • Calendar focus blocks: 09:00–12:00
  • High-salience sounds → perceptual background
  • Emergency calls: never masked
  • Raw audio never stored
ShiftTone
Auditory handoff tool. Gradually reduces sound density and brightness, then bundles tasks into three voice prompts to structure leaving work.
Remaining tasks (max 3)
Finish report draft do now
Prepare team meeting agenda tomorrow
Clean up old version files discard
Notification bundling
Bundle messenger alerts
Bundle email notifications
Save first task to notes app
Warning lead time 15 min
Brightness fade 40%
READY
Scenario
Even after meetings end, Doyoon keeps work open into the evening, unable to disengage. ShiftTone gradually slows the background sound and reads three brief prompts. After confirming, notifications are bundled and only the first morning task remains.
Design intent
  • Leaving work is a structured closing procedure
  • Not a productivity interruption — a quality handoff
  • User approves every bundling action
DriftLine — Recovery
Reduces residual arousal from work. Prioritises distancing over isolation — low event density, gentle spatial continuity, fully stoppable at any time.
Sound profile
Event density Low
Spatial depth Soft
READY
Scenario
After logging off, Sua settles into a low-density ambient sound environment. The system does not evaluate her state — it simply reduces signal intensity and creates gentle perceptual distance from work.
Design intent
  • Distancing over complete isolation
  • Environmental safety preserved
  • No inference of personal state
  • Always stoppable — one tap
DriftLine — Pre-sleep
Screen-free handoff from recovery to sleep preparation. Transfers sound from desk device to personal bedroom device. System never infers sleep state.
BREATH SYNC · 4s CYCLE
Pre-sleep profile
Device handoff
Desk → bedroom device transfer
Screen auto-dim
Separate from org account
Wind-down speed Slow
READY
Scenario
After 10pm, DriftLine transfers sound from the desk to a small bedroom device while the screen dims automatically. Sua listens to a short breath-synchronised sequence, then ends with a single press. The system quietly withdraws.
Privacy principles
No raw audioNever stored or transmitted
On-deviceAll processing local
SeparatedOrg accounts isolated
OverrideInstant, always available
No stage active
Raw audio: never stored
On-device processing
Eun Ji Park · Seoul National University