Insights

Thinking on sound, space and design

Practical thinking on sound for the people who operate and design spaces. Explore how audio systems, room conditions and everyday service shape a venue's atmosphere, with guidance for hospitality operators, architects and private clients.

Featured
Bisushima restaurant interior pictured in The Architecture of Sound.
Hospitality Strategy10 May 20268 min read

Listening Effort, Dwell Time and Spend: What Hospitality Operators Can Assess

What listening effort can tell an operator, where the evidence stops, and how to evaluate the venue’s own experience and commercial questions.

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Pillar guides
Pillar guide

Sonic branding in hospitality

How sonic identity shapes guest experience, dwell time and brand perception in hospitality environments.

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Pillar guide

Acoustic architecture

Designing spaces that sound as good as they look, with sound treated as a design material.

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Pillar guide

Hospitality acoustics

The hidden driver of guest experience, atmosphere and staff wellbeing across restaurants and hotels.

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All articles

Restaurant and hospitality sound

Hospitality
Hospitality26 February 20266 min read

Why Is My Restaurant Too Loud? Start With the Source

Most loud restaurants are not loud because of their guests. Here is what actually drives the noise, and how to fix it without compromising the design.

Hospitality
Hospitality26 February 20266 min read

Restaurant Noise: Alternatives to Exposed Acoustic Panels

You can make a restaurant quieter without covering the walls in foam. Here is how to design absorption into the room so it works without being seen.

Bisushima restaurant interior pictured in The Architecture of Sound.
Hospitality26 February 20265 min read

How Loud Is Too Loud? Reading Restaurant Noise Levels in Context

A practical guide to restaurant noise levels, decibels and acoustic comfort, including when a lively dining room becomes difficult to talk in.

Acoustics and comfort

Illustrated comparison of a small hospitality room with different loudspeaker placement approaches.
Cognitive Load Index10 May 20267 min read

What Is Cognitive Load in Acoustic Design?

Listening can demand effort, but a venue's sound-level readings do not directly measure a guest's mental energy.

Warmly lit listening lounge pictured in The Architecture of Sound.
Cognitive Load Index10 May 20267 min read

Why Good Sound Feels Effortless

Good sound should support the experience the operator wants to create.

Miro, Mayfair - precision-tuned dining audio by Sonic Design Studios
Acoustic Design5 May 20268 min read

The Acoustic Cost of Minimalism in Interior Design

A restrained interior can still support a comfortable sound environment.

Acoustic Comfort
Acoustic Comfort3 May 20267 min read

The Acoustic Comfort Gap: Reviewing a Room in Use

A room can satisfy its documented technical requirements and still leave an operator with questions about the guest experience.

Architecture and specification

Drunch, Fitzrovia - sound system design by Sonic Design Studios
Architectural Audio5 May 20268 min read

Bringing Audio Into the Design Brief

Audio is easier to coordinate when the operating brief and spatial design are considered together.

Gallery-style interior with an artwork and red sculptural loudspeakers.
Architectural Audio3 May 20267 min read

Sound as a Fifth Material in Architecture

SDS treats sound as a material consideration in a space: something to discuss alongside layout, light and finishes.

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SONIC DESIGN STUDIOS

The Designer's Guide to Cognitive Load

Designing for Neurological Comfort
and Human Performance.

Thought leadership

Design for the
brain, not the meter

Our manifesto on designing for neurological comfort.
Why technically compliant rooms still fatigue their occupants,
and how the Cognitive Load Index informs the design response.

Introducing the Cognitive Load Index (CLI),
a framework for assessing how hard a room asks people to work,
not just what the equipment records.