Beyond Visual Interfaces: Designing Multisensory Experiences

Interactive systems have long been dominated by visual paradigms, shaping how we design, evaluate, and experience technology. Yet human perception is inherently multisensory, grounded in the integration of sound, touch, movement, and internal bodily signals. In this talk, I argue for a shift from visual interfaces toward multisensory experiences, drawing on research in sonic interaction design, virtual reality, and hearing science. Through examples ranging from immersive environments to clinical applications, I demonstrate how sound and other sensory modalities can expand interaction beyond the visual, enabling richer, more inclusive, and more ecologically valid experiences. I conclude by outlining a human-centered design perspective that embraces perceptual diversity, where multisensory systems adapt to different abilities and contexts, opening new directions for interaction, accessibility, and health technology.