One of the initial goals in designing audio for Elite: Dangerous was to connect different activities that relate together in game play loops. When comparable activities are undertaken, those are accompanied by sound similar sound signatures. The subconscious mind will make connections especially if the sound designfacilitates an appropriate level of repetition. Examples of re-use are:

• Sounds from the system map also present when scanning planets from the ship.
• Equipping scanning equipment, re-use those same sounds.
• Selling data from the scans again re-uses some of the same sounds.

The Planet map in Elite: Dangerous is a diegetic menu that zooms in and across the billions of planets scatterred throughout the 1:1 representation of our Galaxy. In the video audio from my first itteration combines with the planet specific audio by Ross Stack.

Complex interfaces (such as the galaxy- and planet maps) like the ships in Elite: Dangerous, rely on data derived audio. Each planet type has a bespoke amabience implementation and moving across feels like operating a mechanical interface.

When it comes to the aesthetic of the sound design the "worn-space" visuals inspired direction. Hard drive recordings, modems and other "mechanical" communications devices were used as source and combined with a set of UI building blocks that senior sound designer Duncan MacKinnon had created.

UI audio direction and approach also bleeds into ambiences for space and planets, which incorporates similar elements and layers them with natural occurring radio transmissions and electro magnetic recordings. The "voice" of space so to speak.

It all comes together in the Galaxy Map, a diegetic interface for which I designed audio, UI and music.

Inspirations for the system map specifically comes from Blade Runner and Deckard's Photo Inspector specifically (Peter Pennell, Bud Alper, Graham V. Hartstone, and Gerry Humphreys). Additionally Star Wars, Alien, 2001 and Space 1999 have been influential in their organic/mechanical approach to interface audio.

Our interface animations are somewhat strenuous and mechanical looking. The audio is build on the audio pillar of "robust technology". The in-game logic for how audio technology might have evolved for space-faring generations: It would have to be robust, reliable, easy to maintain and build around redundancy and interchangeable parts. Ships and their internals are built to manage compression, expansion, radiation and the constant wear and tear resulting from dramatic temperature changes. Derived, it made sense that a robust space-capable ships would not reach for hyper sophisticated technology (modern FM based Ui sound design) and rather rely on proven concepts.