MyFord Touch Center Stack (photo: egmCarTech)

Like it or not, drivers have more access to technology behind the wheel than ever before. They can now use GPS navigation, car systems like heating and cooling, internet radio, and even Facebook all from the steering wheel. Not only that, but the trend of adding technology to the driving experience is picking up steam. The automobile user interface is becoming a decisive differentiator for car manufacturers in the way that engines used to be. Manufacturers like Ford have poured millions of R&D dollars into creating the MyFord Touch Interface — a vastly new and different way to interact with the automobile from how our grandparents would remember. And it’s not just Ford: nearly every major auto manufacturer has plans to continue to modernize the driver’s user experience.

Unlike many cynics, I don’t think technology in the car is necessarily a bad thing. Let me explain. I believe that a well-designed GPS navigation system can actually be safer than its analog counterparts (e.g. printed directions from a service like Mapquest.com or traditional map books). What I am very afraid of are the kludgy solutions that drivers are increasingly turning towards, like using Google Maps on a phone held in one’s lap below police surveillance (many smartphone owners I’ve talked to plead guilty to such acts). Additionally, drivers are turning to their mobile phones for more than just wayfinding. Using a phone for communication and entertainment purposes is increasingly popular, and both introduce significant safety concerns. Simply put, mobile phones are difficult to use while driving — they have small screens, require at least one hand to operate, and often divert the driver’s eyes away from the road.

So I think it’s up to technology once again to save us from technology. Specifically, I think better in-car tech will make driving more enjoyable and safer for everyone. I will touch on a few different thoughts across a couple of posts. First up...

The Importance of Touch-Based UI

I think a properly implemented touch UI can be one of the best new additions to automotive technology in helping the driver (or passenger) achieve tasks quickly and efficiently. What a touch screen is best for is direct manipulation of information and coarse gestures. Both of these happen to be ideal for maps-based applications. Fumbling to find pan and zoom functions for a map UI are inexcusable in the days of pinch and spread multi-touch gestures. By making these actions quick and easy to use, drivers can spend more time looking at the road and less at the map.

Touch UI can also be a godsend when the car is stationary. By enabling UI widgets like on-screen touch keyboards, less time is spent spinning knobs (one of the currently preferred automotive input devices), moving joysticks, or using five-way controllers. One of the most arduous tasks for non touch-based navigation systems is simply entering the destination.

The Importance of Tangible (Physical) UI/Controls

While I do think touch screen UI is important in a car, it should be used sparingly and only where appropriate. More and more auto manufacturers are moving from traditional dedicated controls to multi-function displays with a singular input device. This can be done well in some cases, but can also have the negative effects of hiding functionality or requiring too much focus to use. To understand why this is sometimes a step backwards, one needs to first explore what the benefits of dedicated physical controls are.

1. Physical controls are visible — This means that they are discoverable, and will most likely lessen the burden of switching cars. If there’s an urgency to do something, it’s vital to be able to spot the control quickly. Think of how dangerous it would be if the hazard light switch were buried in a different menu structure depending on which car you were driving.


2. Physical controls are tactile — There is great benefit in not needing to see the control to operate it. With some good design you can place the control where the driver can reach out and operate it without ever taking their eyes off the road. The radio volume knob tends to be a shining example of this.


3. Physical controls provide haptic feedback — Many physical controls benefit from having a built-in feedback mechanism for when the item is off, on, or in an intermediate state. For instance, in most cars when you turn the wipers on, there are several nice clicks until you reach the final resting state of fully on. Most digital controls lack this inherently physical feedback.


4. Physical controls are mostly stationary — No matter which mode or menu you are in, you know where the control is. In other words, the radio on/off button is always in the same place. This does not hold true for menu-based digital selections (or soft-keys that change function).


5. Physical controls can be accessible — German automakers (think Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen) are particularly good about getting the human factors of the car's interior right. The thermostat control in my VW is a great example. It's a big and chunky knob and works great even while wearing thick gloves. This design achievement, however, does not transcend to all vehicles. Many cars have oddly small knobs or controls that are difficult to operate.

The point here is that there are some very solid reasons for not migrating all of the car’s controls to their digital counterparts. When you make controls for the volume, audio track skipping and even fan-speed touch-based, you remove much of what has made them successful, easy to operate, and safe in the first place. I've never heard someone complain that a volume rotary knob was difficult to understand or distracting, while touchscreens, on the other hand, receive constant (and often well-deserved) criticism.

We are at an extremely interesting time for automobile user experience design. There are lots of new technologies that can keep the driver’s hands on the wheel while making driving both safer and more enjoyable.

Mike's next post in this series will focus on speech technology in the car — both "speech to text" (you talking to your car) and "text to speech" (your car talking to you). Speech recognition is on the cusp of revolutionizing the driving experience, and has an interesting spot to fill between touch-based and tangible UI controls.