April 5, 2023
The Wikimedia Foundation, which oversees the development of Wikipedia, has launched a new sound logo for the website. The foundation’s Sound of All Human Knowledge contest received 3,235 anonymised entries from 2,094 participants in 135 countries.
Virginia-based engineer and amateur musician Thaddeus Osborne’s entry was selected from thousands of entries as the winner. The logo, which Osborne created in four hours, incorporates the sounds of flipping book pages, keyboard clicks and a synthesised chime.
The logo was launched in recognition of the increase in active voice-assistant users, 27% of the world’s online population, many of whom use Wikipedia and Wikimedia content to answer general knowledge queries.
“Wikimedia projects, like Wikipedia and Wikidata, increasingly power other websites and general knowledge queries on voice-assisted devices,” the Wikimedia Foundation said in a blog post. “A sound logo helps ensure listeners know when they are accessing knowledge from Wikipedia or Wikimedia sites anywhere online.”
Wikimedia projects, like Wikipedia and Wikidata, increasingly power other websites and general knowledge queries on voice-assisted devices. A sound logo helps ensure listeners know when they are accessing knowledge from Wikipedia or Wikimedia sites anywhere online.
As part of the winning prize, Thaddeus will receive $2,500 USD and a trip to a professional recording studio to re-record the sound logo. The ten finalists will also receive limited edition Wikimedia sound logo merchandise. After the professional recording is produced, the Wikimedia Foundation will begin efforts to integrate the sound logo for use. The Foundation is eager to collaborate with voice assistants and technology organizations over the coming months.
The sources for this piece include an article in FastCompany.
