Finding a research question is often presented as a single moment of clarity. In practice, however, it is an iterative process shaped by curiosity, observation, conversation and experimentation. Rather than starting with a fixed thesis statement, I approached my research direction as something that would emerge through learning, practice and reflection.
My initial curiosity came from experience rather than theory. Spending time in clubs, concerts and audiovisual environments, I repeatedly noticed how visuals influence the story that sound conveys. Often, a new combined narrative emerges, shaping how people move, connect or disengage within a shared space. This observation led to an early realization: visuals are never neutral. They always influence how a space is felt and experienced.
To explore these questions, I began with open-ended brainstorming. I collected associations between sound qualities such as rhythm, reverb, equalizers, distortion and tempo, and visual attributes such as movement, shape, density and colour. These early mappings revealed patterns. They are not intended to function as strict rules, but as starting points for developing a visual language for the relationship between sound and image. Similar to spoken language, where a word can hold multiple meanings depending on context, a visual interpretation of sound can also remain open to interpretation.
Another important method was conversation-based research. I spoke with media designers, VJs, sound designers and people involved in club culture to gather perspectives beyond my own practice. These discussions reinforced my understanding that audiovisual design is relational. It is shaped by people, space and time, rather than by tools alone.
Alongside these methods, reflective writing helped me articulate why certain audiovisual moments stayed with me. Recurring themes emerged from this process, including collectivity, embodiment, rhythm and atmosphere. Writing about these experiences clarified that my interest does not lie in visuals for their own sake, but in understanding how they shape shared emotional experience.
Through this process, my focus gradually narrowed. Rather than asking how visuals can enhance music, I became increasingly interested in how designed systems for translating sound into visuals can shape collective emotional experience in live environments. Based on this focus, several candidate research questions emerged. Each approaches the topic from a slightly different angle while remaining intentionally open-ended.
Option A
How can a visual language for sound be designed to influence collective emotional experience in temporary cultural spaces such as clubs and raves?
Option B
How can sound be translated into a consistent visual language that shapes collective emotional experience in live music environments?
Option C
How can a visual language for translating sound be developed to shape collective experience in temporary live music spaces?
Option D
Can a designed visual language for sound influence how collective emotion is experienced in live audiovisual performance?
These questions map a research landscape rather than define a single outcome. One question may become dominant, or the thesis may synthesize elements from multiple options. At this stage, the openness of these questions reflects the exploratory nature of the research.
If one or more of these directions is pursued, the thesis would define a system for translating sound into visuals. This system is explicitly understood as a designed language, not a universal truth. Its purpose would be to explore consistency, interpretation and meaning rather than objective correctness.
The visual language could be applied through practice-based outcomes such as live and reactive visuals using tools like TouchDesigner, Resolume or Arkestra, prerendered animation tests exploring rhythm and timing, or staged audiovisual performances functioning as experimental scenarios rather than final artworks.
The final layer of the research would focus on reflection. This could include audience feedback, informal responses, personal reflection on the design process and comparisons between rule-based visual systems and intuitive or improvised approaches. Through this process, the thesis aims to understand how designed visual systems can shape experience in live audiovisual contexts while remaining open to ambiguity, interpretation and ongoing development.
Sources:
Chion, M. (1994). Audio-vision: Sound on screen. Columbia University Press.
Leerberg, M., Riisberg, V., & Boutrup, J. (2010). Design responsibility and sustainable design as reflective practice: An educational challenge. Sustainable Development, 18(5), 306–317.
Marks, L. E. (1978). The unity of the senses: Interrelations among the modalities. Academic Press.
Ratan, S. K., Anand, T., & Ratan, J. (2019). Formulation of research question–Stepwise approach. Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, 24(1), 15-20.
