Most of my sound work has happened in studios: writing, producing and shaping music for release. This project took the same skills somewhere very different — the production line at BMW / MINI Plant Oxford.

Where the idea came from

My extensive experience in production environments has given me an appreciation for the smaller details that shape a workplace—not only how it operates, but how it feels to the people working within it and those visiting.

While a tour was passing through MINI Plant Oxford, I noticed an unexpected audio cue catch a visitor by surprise. It was a brief moment, but it sparked a thought: sound is part of how we experience a place. Could those everyday reminders reflect more of the care and precision evident in the work around them?

That became the starting point for the project: bringing a considered sound-design approach to a practical workplace function. The aim was to create clear, distinctive reminders with a friendly delivery—sounds that would attract attention without feeling unnecessarily abrupt, and feel appropriate to their surroundings.

With requirements changing from one vehicle to the next, the purpose remained practical: support colleagues with a useful reminder while their hands and eyes were occupied. My focus was not simply on what each prompt needed to communicate, but on how it would be received by the people hearing it throughout a shift.

Approaching the sound design

My contribution was the sound design for BViS audio reminders: short voice prompts and musical cues, each linked to a vehicle-specific task.

Working in music taught me that how something sounds changes how it's received. The same message can feel like an order or like a friendly reminder, depending on the voice, the tone and the timing. So the aim was for every prompt to feel supportive.

I chose a soft female voice, and each prompt was made to match what the process needed. Short spoken prompts work best for reminders that come up often. For requirements that only appear on the occasional car, a distinct musical cue stands out without becoming background noise.

Listening to the people using it

The most important part was feedback from the people on the line. They are the ones hearing these reminders during a shift, so their experience shaped how the sounds developed. The response to the idea was very positive, and that encouragement helped drive the work forward.

Same thinking, different setting

Bringing new audio into an established workplace system raised its own practical challenges. That's often where I find myself: an idea opens the door, and then the work is about finding a way through — helping the people involved build the resources and solutions to make it happen.

The application was different, but the thinking was familiar: listen carefully, make it clear, and make it feel right for the people who hear it.