The Missing Piece: MUSIC

 As I was preparing for user testing, I felt like something was still missing. MUSIC! I've always been someone who works better with background music. Whether I'm coding, studying, or just relaxing, the right soundtrack can completely transform my mood and focus. Playing through my own game in complete silence made me realize how much a simple musical backdrop could enhance the experience.

Music Choices

With user testing approaching, I didn't have time for extensive research or custom composition. I needed to add music quickly, but I still wanted it to feel right for Sign Pals. The music needed to:

  • Support concentration during learning moments
  • Create a welcoming atmosphere for all ages
  • Not overwhelm or distract from the sign language content
  • Match the playful, friendly aesthetic I'd worked so hard to create

Finding

I spent a couple of evenings browsing copyright-free music libraries and YouTube channels that offer no-copyright music. The challenge wasn't finding music, but it was finding music that felt right for Sign Pals.

I ended up selecting three tracks that perfectly captured the different moods I wanted for Sign Pals:

1. "💜 Furry Friends - Purple Planet Music" by PupClub
This became my main background track with its soothing, friendly melody that creates a welcoming atmosphere without being distracting.

2. "Cute background music No copyright / Funny background music" by your mood is here
This lighter, more playful track worked perfectly for menu screens and character selection moments.

3. "[BGM] Rainbow Forest 🌈 Cute, cheerful background music" by PupClub
The cheerful, uplifting energy of this track made it ideal for success moments and positive feedback in the game.

For sound effects, I turned to freesound.org, which has an amazing collection of user-contributed audio. I found button click sounds, success chimes, and other UI feedback sounds that complemented the musical atmosphere while providing clear audio cues for player interactions.

Quick Implementation

Adding the music to Unity was straightforward




























I designed the system so that the background music plays continuously while navigating menus, character selection, and mode selection screens. However, when players enter Learning Mode or Duel Mode, the background music stops and switches to mode-specific tracks that better suit the focused gameplay experience.

This approach means players get a consistent, welcoming atmosphere while navigating the game, but the music adapts to support concentration during learning or add energy during competitive duels.

Insights

The first time I played Sign Pals with the music implemented, I was surprised by how much it changed the feel of the game. It wasn't just a functional educational tool anymore. It had a welcoming experience. The music transformed the character selection screen into an inviting moment of preparation and made the Learning Mode feel like a gentle, supportive journey. Most importantly, the music made the game feel more polished and professional as I prepared for user testing. It was a small addition that had a disproportionately large impact on the overall experience.

Music Reference

PupClub. (2021, April 6). ðŸ’œ Furry Friends - Purple Planet Music | Cute Background Music [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3u0iR8xx0

your mood is here. (2024, May 24). Cute background music No copyright / Funny background music [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBX26HY3Qu0 

PupClub. (2023, March 18). [BGM] Rainbow Forest 🌈 Cute, cheerful background music [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPFO9jWBTpY

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UDP vs TCP

After successfully implementing hand sign detection and classification in Python, my next challenge was connecting this system to Unity for a more interactive learning experience. At first, I saw a video from the same YouTube channel that showed how to connect Python to Unity using UDP. This inspired me to explore network protocols more deeply to understand what would work best for my project. Initial Discovery: UDP from the YouTube Tutorial When I first started researching how to connect my Python classifier to Unity, I came across a tutorial video from the same YouTube channel ( Murtaza’s Workshop - Robotics and AI)  that taught me about hand detection. The video suggested using UDP (User Datagram Protocol) for this connection. This piqued my interest, but before implementing it, I wanted to understand why UDP was recommended over TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). My Understanding of the Two Protocols Through my research, I found that TCP and UDP represent two different philos...
Read more

Initial Research

Image
Bridging Family Gaps for Deaf Teenagers Communication is one of the most important aspects of building strong family relationships. However, for many deaf teenagers raised in hearing families, communication is often one of the biggest barriers. Everyday conversations, emotional expressions, and even simple family interactions can become sources of frustration or isolation when a shared language is missing. These experiences may go unnoticed by hearing family members, but for deaf teens, they can have long-term effects on emotional well-being, self-identity, and social development. Inspiration This project was inspired by the Korean drama Twinkling Watermelon . In the story, a young deaf girl is discouraged by her mother from learning sign language. Despite this, her boyfriend takes the initiative to learn sign language so that he can communicate with her and eventually teaches her as well. How Sweet! Later in the story, he becomes deaf due to an accident. The two eventually marry and r...
Read more

Final Approach: Python OpenCV

Image
After experimenting with 3 different approaches, I realized that fully implementing them would be too risky. Each required a deep technical understanding and advanced knowledge of complex systems that I don’t yet possess. While the concepts were promising, I ultimately decided to take a more practical route that aligned with my current skills and ensured the project would be functional and deliverable within my timeline. Luckily, when I decided to broaden my research and look into more practical solutions, I came across a fascinating YouTube tutorial on building a hand sign detection system specifically for American Sign Language (ASL) alphabets that offered a more systematic approach. Learning From Mr. Murtaza The tutorial I discovered from the YouTube channel called "Murtaza's Workshop - Robotics and AI" presented a comprehensive step-by-step guide for building a robust hand sign detection system using ASL alphabets A, B, and C. What caught my attention was its two-step...
Read more