Design Map · Eindhoven
Vocal characters
Graduation project by Alva Fredriksson at Design Academy Eindhoven, 2026. Shown during Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven on Design Map, location F5.
After years of singing, Alva Fredriksson began to wonder whether her voice could also become a design tool. For ‘Vocal Characters’, she recorded seven intuitive vocal improvisations and responded to each with a drawing before developing them into watercolour paintings and coloured acrylic forms. Grouped by emotion, the recordings come together in a single rotating totem made up of three segments. As it turns, overlapping layers create new colours that echo the way voices merge in harmony. Visitors can listen to the recordings while exploring the sculpture, connecting sound and form. Rooted in the designer's own voice and way of working, the project presents a method that transforms personal expression into physical form while opening up new possibilities for creative exploration through sound.