<p>In printed text, sound is a somewhat forgotten aspect. The recitation of text is vital in areas like poetry and oratory, but still has no distinct technique of being communicated. Emphasis of a word might be expressed through italics, but no canonic character set or system for vocal delivery of texts exists. With this essay we are creating a foundation for a development of such a character set or system. By studying existing visualisations of sound and comparing these with semiotic and perception-based theories we obtain useful insights for a prospective system for visualisations of vocal sounds.</p><p>We conclude that the aspects of sound one wants to visualise must be carefully defined since the viewer cannot process infinite amounts of information. A sound visualisation system does not have to consist of multiple characters or signs to be effective, but had better be built around a strong code to manage the signs into a working system. Creating a context for the signs is also recommended in order to be able to compare signs with eachother.</p>

In printed text, sound is a somewhat forgotten aspect. The recitation of text is vital in areas like poetry and oratory, but still has no distinct technique of being communicated. Emphasis of a word might be expressed through italics, but no canonic character set or system for vocal delivery of texts exists. With this essay we are creating a foundation for a development of such a character set or system. By studying existing visualisations of sound and comparing these with semiotic and perception-based theories we obtain useful insights for a prospective system for visualisations of vocal sounds. We conclude that the aspects of sound one wants to visualise must be carefully defined since the viewer cannot process infinite amounts of information. A sound visualisation system does not have to consist of multiple characters or signs to be effective, but had better be built around a strong code to manage the signs into a working system. Creating a context for the signs is also recommended in order to be able to compare signs with eachother.