Discord: UX Sound Design

Discord is a voice, video, and text communication service used by over 100 million people to hang out and talk with their friends and communities.

Sanctus Audio has partnered with the product team on several occasions to develop sound design for various features in the app.

Since Discord already utilized a rich collection of user experience sounds before approaching us, our challenge was not to reinvent but to build upon the existing soundscape. This required a deep understanding of the aesthetic and functionality of Discord’s sounds, enabling us to expand upon them in a way that would derive meaning and familiarity for the new features.

Voice Messages

The “Voice Messages" feature allows users to record and send audio messages within their chats. It's designed for quick and personal communication, offering an alternative to typing for conveying messages with the nuance of voice.

Clips

Discord's "Clips" feature enables users to create and share short video clips from their streaming within the app. It's designed to capture memorable moments or highlights, allowing for easy sharing and revisiting of those snippets with friends and communities.

Activities

The "Activities" feature allows users to play games, watch videos, and engage in other interactive experiences together within the app. It's designed to enhance social interaction by providing shared, fun activities for friends and communities.

Shop

Discord's "Shop" feature offers users the ability to browse and purchase digital items, such as games, subscriptions, and other virtual goods directly within the app. It's designed to provide a seamless shopping experience, enhancing user engagement by integrating commerce into the social platform.

Snowsgiving

Discord's "Snowsgiving" event is an annual celebration that brings the community together with festive activities, giveaways, and special features. It's designed to spread holiday cheer, encouraging users to engage in themed events, share moments, and enjoy seasonal surprises within the app. We redesigned all of Discord’s UX sounds to radiate the festive warmth of the season in a way that retained the core DNA of what made Discord’s sounds familiar to users.