When Einar Måløy was given the assignment, he knew straight away which direction he wanted to take.
"I had the idea straight away: to sing ‘U-i-A’ – a natural intonation for the melody to follow. Three chords, a string arrangement. I wanted to include nature, the sea, waves, the sun: the whole spectrum”, says Måløy, a music producer and student at UiA’s Department of Popular Music.
The result is UiA’s new audio identity: a package of short, recognisable sound clips, transitions, vignettes and longer background sounds that can be used in podcasts, adverts, social media, conferences and videos.
This makes UiA the first Norwegian university to have its own audio identity, something major brands have had for years.
Translating values into sound
The sound identity came about as a student project, in close collaboration with music professor Bjørn Ole Rasch, the IT department’s media services and the communications department.
"It was a new experience for me to work on something like this, and a great opportunity to create something for the university I attend myself”, says Måløy.
Watch video and get to know the sound effects 🎶
The work began by analysing UiA’s values and visual profile to translate them into sound. The aim was to create something that feels modern, open and inclusive, yet professional and credible. The soundscape combines electronic and organic elements to reflect the balance between technology and humanity.
“The result is a flexible sound package that can be adapted to different needs, and which makes it easier to communicate a clear identity across different platforms. We will continue to develop the sound of UiA with further variations”, says Thomas Eikeland Fiskå, design coordinator at UiA.
Creates a sense of recognition
Professor Bjørn Ole Rasch is delighted with the result.
"Absolutely brilliant. I think he has captured the very essence of the term – sound identity. It’s about showing who we are, creating an atmosphere around the university and a recognition factor that is important both for those of us who work here and for those who visit,” he says.
Rasch also highlights the way in which the sound identity came about.
“In today’s market, there are many people working on this and using professional resources. What’s unique about ours is that we’ve created it ourselves, with our own students. I think that’s fabulous, he says.
The sound identity is available in UiA’s design manual and is intended for widespread use, so that UiA sounds recognisable wherever people encounter the university.
Learn more and listen to the audio clips
Contact person:
