Evan Benway, a musician and the child of musicians, has been immersed in the creation and study of music since his earliest days. Through his deep appreciation for the evocative power and joy of sound, Evan understands how profoundly music can affect mood and emotions. However, in his professional journey, he discovered a stark contrast: sound is often considered a major distraction in traditional knowledge worker environments, especially in open floor plans filled with sound-reflecting materials like concrete and glass. Even in the most cutting-edge offices, unmanaged noise—particularly from people talking—can overwhelm other positive design elements. Evan experienced this firsthand and was struck by how unproductive such environments could be due to a poorly managed soundscape.
Traditional methods of sound management—absorbing, blocking, and covering, known as the ABCs of acoustics—are increasingly inadequate in modern office designs where sound sensitivity is high, and conventional solutions like carpets and acoustic tiles are less practical.
There had to be a better way.
Join me in welcoming Evan Benway to Work 20XX.
Evan founded Moodsonic to transform sound from a negative element into a positive force that enhances productivity, mood, and well-being. Moodsonic uses science-backed, biophilic sounds to create contextually relevant, dynamically generated soundscapes (with no loops) for built environments. Starting with offices and expanding into healthcare and educational markets, Moodsonic's approach brings the power of nature-inspired sound into these spaces.
Evan and his team are pioneering the use of dynamic soundscapes to improve people's experiences in built environments, leveraging the deep-seated biological impact of sound on attention, health, productivity, and well-being. At the same time, they carefully design these soundscapes to avoid the many pitfalls that poorly designed audio environments can bring.
In this episode of Work 20XX, we dive into the details, science, methods, and results of creating intentional soundscape designs that work in harmony with visual and other design elements to create better workplace experiences.
YouTube - Click Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OqytQDMf80&list=PLZURvMqWbYjmmJlwGj0L0jWbWdCej1Jlt&index=1
Eposide page with transcript and show notes - Click Here
https://www.work20xx.com/episode/evan-benway-dynamic-sound-positive-well-being-work-20xx-ep30
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