• How do you reduce distraction from background noise when reading?
• What's the right choice of music or sounds when reading?
• How can you make reading better when in public transport with headphones?

Exploring an audio-enhanced reading experience

Storyscore is a reading experience with an audio backdrop that changes with the section you are in. This is meant to help transport your imagination into the narrative, while still letting you drive how you read and imagine the story. It's just a little "boost".

In 2014 I built the original prototype for my friend Luke Forsythe, who had this idea. But, recently, I've created this new prototype for fun.

First of all, try it if you haven't.

Inventing a markdown syntax

A custom markdown syntax is used to configure the story and add markers for when audio sections begin or end, including some settings on their effects.

The syntax looks like this:

While the original prototype was built using pretty vanilla HTML, JS and CSS, this one uses React and Howler.js - stuff that barely existed in 2014.

If you are interested in this project, have ideas to share or just want to chat about it - feel free to book a coffee chat with me!

Try the prototype here: Storyscore updated prototype Happy reading!