Imagine trying to read a book in a bustling café. You settle in, expecting the usual background hum of sounds – faint clinking dishes, muted voices, coffee machines whirring. Ambient noises that can enhance the experience, in a cosy kind of way.
But as a nearby conversation catches your attention, you find yourself reading the same line again and again, your mind slipping away from the page. You realise you’ve lost focus, drawn instead to the clear voices around you. It’s almost instinctive – our brains can’t help but tune in to speech, especially when it’s distinct enough to catch what’s being said.
At work, in open-plan offices, we hear the same story daily: “There’s too much noise!” But let’s pause here to ask the question: What do we mean by noise?
Traditionally, we think of noise as disruptive, like the drilling of a jackhammer. A background clamour that disturbs focus and intrudes on personal space, disrupting either communication or relaxation.
Noise can tell us that something is happening (a presence, a danger, or activity), but it lacks communicative value. In contrast, a conversation or ringing phone is a “signal”, which our brains automatically perceive as meaningful information.
In open offices, what’s described as noise are often signals – the sound of conversations, laughter, or phone calls happening close enough to follow. These are not ambient sounds – they’re pieces of information that demand attention, not because they’re loud, but because they’re meaningful to workers.
Sound masking is designed to blur this distinction between signal and noise. Think of it as adding a gentle, unintrusive hum that blends with the space, much like the murmur of distant sounds in that café. The goal isn’t to silence the office or eliminate conversations, but to adjust the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) so that intelligible speech becomes less distinct, and therefore less distracting. This lets you keep your focus on the task at hand without the constant lure of nearby chatter.
For many, sound masking feels like shifting the open office into the cafe you had in mind when you planned out your afternoon. It’s not that conversations vanish, rather, they become tuned to a level that becomes pleasantly ignorable, just like the background buzz in your cosy space. Our brains get a break from constantly being pulled between focus and distraction.
So next time you find yourself distracted by voices around you, remember. It’s not just “noise”, but an intricate balance of signal, sound, and space. Speak to us to explore how a well-designed sound masking system can help tip the scales back in favour of focus.