DSB App
DSB, The Danish State Railways, is an independent state-owned corporation under the Danish Ministry of Transport and Energy, operating passenger transport on Denmark’s railway network. Together with DSB, we created the UI sounds for their transportation app.
Travelling can be a hectic experience, with lots of information to process quickly. DSB wanted to make the journey even easier to navigate using sound within their mobile app.
The DSB app helps users keep track of journeys and order tickets. When the new “Check In” feature was introduced, sound was a natural UX element to consider. The feature allows users to check in and out of a journey at the touch of a button, without buying a physical ticket.
Our goal was to create a series of UI sounds supporting the new app actions while making a subtle callback to traditional paper tickets, acting as an auditory bridge between heritage and modern digital convenience.
Listen to the DSB Check In UI sound below:
Expanding on the identity
DSB possesses a strong audio identity that has existed for decades. This sonic DNA had to remain central when crafting UI sounds to achieve consistency across all DSB touchpoints.
We needed to create a clear range of functional app sounds including:
- Buy Ticket
- Check In
- Check Out
- Confirm
- Error
- Notification
All of these sounds had to clearly communicate their function without confusing the user in a busy transit environment. Because the check-in and check-out sounds are heard thousands of times per day, they had to communicate actions clearly without disturbing fellow passengers.
Design pillars
Together with DSB, we established core design pillars to guide the sound creation:
- A balanced mix between abstract and skeuomorphic sounds.
- For skeuomorphic elements, tapping into the tactile nostalgia of an old-school ticket punch card system, a sound deeply familiar across generations in Denmark.
- Soft, warm, and unobtrusive frequency profiles.
- Short, precise sound envelopes without long tails that clutter the acoustic environment.
“The primary challenge lay in striking a delicate balance between minimalism and symbolic resonance. Navigating this intricate interplay between symbolic value and practical functionality emerged as the most demanding aspect of the project.”
Karsten Kjems
CEO, Founder
Sonic Minds
For the Sonic DNA, we drew inspiration from the existing DSB audio logo and its signature bell sound, guiding the instrumentation in a warm, gentle direction to avoid conflicting with train notification chimes.
We took inspiration from the contour of the bell instrument, applying its overall volume shape to a softer soundscape. For skeuomorphic elements, volume was kept minimal to provide a tactile experience hinting at real-world interactions.
DSB audio logo
Take a listen to the DSB Audio Logo below:
Check In
Triggered during a swipe motion to start a journey, this sound utilizes two upward melodic notes signalling positive confirmation, paired with a subtle punch card texture.
Check Out
Representing the end of a journey, this sound incorporates the melody of the DSB audio logo to signal completion, layered with a subtle paper texture echoing a digital receipt animation.
Buy Ticket
Employs three upward melodic notes giving an anticipatory feeling of a journey beginning, complemented by a soft, altered cash-register cue confirming ownership.
The new UI sound suite for the DSB app expands on DSB’s established audio identity while enhancing accessibility, confidence, and comfort for millions of daily travelers across Denmark.
Interested in learning about how we made the core DSB audio identity?
Read our DSB caseSigne Elin Gram
Senior Brand Manager
DSB
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