The Battle for the Automotive User Interface

"Tim (Fractal Footwork)" (fractalfootwork) 04/10/2014 at 18:10 • Filed to: UI/UX, User Interface, User Experience, iOS in the Car, CarPlay, OppositeLock

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The user interface and user experience plaguing the automotive industry has entered an awkward stage of puberty, but hopefully we can see it though to the other side. Recent efforts from Microsoft, Google, and Apple have aimed to put it through adolescence, but now is the time to accelerate that process.

Geoff Teehan in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! lays out the problem of bad User Experience in automotive models.

Some of what is being produced is inexcusable for any company, regardless of the constraints put in front of them. There is no excuse for a system to use type that's unreadable. There is no [defense] for an interface that uses obtuse iconography. You can't rationalize a palette with poor contrast or bevelled buttons lifted from Windows 95. Bad design is sometimes just bad design—and it's all too common in automotive interfaces.

So why exactly is this problem occurring and how can we fix it?

I'm glad you asked...

Complicated Awe vs. Ease of Use

I recently just applied for a job that entails (without giving anything away) designing computer-led controls for a real-life system of sorts. Now, I don't want to claim that I know what is going on with it the system's UI (because I don't yet, just went thought a light interview), but from what they let on, the owners of the system do not know what it does; they think that the system looks way to confusing, yet they like the latter fact and brag about it's complicated nature in passing.

Now I do understand that there are multiple components that have to be monitored that the client doesn't entirely know what they do, but that doesn't mean that we can't communicate the information to them in a way that he/she can understand.

This complicated essence of various controls led on by technological advancement has been implemented by automakers in a way to show that their offering can do a greater many things than their opponents, leading to rushed and overcomplicated design.

There is a tendency for some consumers to buy complicated goods that they don't understand for the reason that they are overly complicated. I wonder how many buyers were infatuated with a Ferrari's traction control systems without knowing or proceeding to learn what they do or mean?

The problem exists on both sides of the aisle.

As Geoff Teehan notes in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ,

The clarity, simplicity, and aesthetic of these systems should be more important to manufacturers. They should see it as a major opportunity to bring moments of joy and delight to customers. These are systems that allow us to physically interact with their brand. These should not be ugly exercises of frustration. They should exude the brand with every interaction. When I get in a Ferrari California and I turn on the stereo, or adjust the climate control, it should feel like Ferrari. It shouldn't be the same experience I get when I turn on the stereo in my Chrysler Town & Country minivan. In case you're wondering, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Can you imagine if those two cars shared another part, like the headlights or door panels? It would never happen. How on earth was this acceptable to them?

Why CarPlay isn't the Answer

Apple's CarPlay will be welcomed by most users of the iPhone who love to use their phones in the car and hate going through current overly-complicated systems made by other companies that roll the dice as to how much integration with iOS they give.

I for one will greatly welcome CarPlay as a small step, but unfortunately it's just a facade for the current manufacturer-brewed system that you will have to deal with when not operating a function of your iPhone. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

I hate facades. I once bought an old HTC windows phone; it was just the old Windows mobile 6.whatever with a frosted HTC home screen plastered on the top. It was absolutely awful. If you ever wanted to do something on it like accessing an app or part of the system that made this an actual "smartphone," you had to exit the frosted HTC cloak (not that the HTC side was all that great) and dig through an atrocious version of windows mobile.

Also, do automakers really think we're going to choose a $20,000+ car based on our phone's ecosystem (Apple or Google)?

The entire car's UI/UX needs to change, and CarPlay is not the way.

The Bad

Here are some examples of bad infotainment systems (please note that the UI/UX problem expands beyond the infotainment touchscreen to buttons and other controls). Most current infotainment systems are included, but I will only list a couple.

MyFord Touch ; this is the bane of my existence.

I understand the reason for the colors as to quickly identify a selection, but the color palette is horribly depressing. And there are way more problems that I wont get into, as you've probably already heard from angry Ford owners.

Tesla's 17-inch touch screen . This is a classic example of way too much information all at once.

Not to mention the clashed design everywhere.

Look through the tweets at the bottom of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for more examples and explanations for why they are badly designed.

The Good

Audi's new air vents. The single input radial nob control is absolutely inspiring.

×

That's pretty much it, but I hope the rest of the Volkswagen group can expand on this design.

So, What Can I do About it?

Demand it; it's that simple. We need to communicate the problem to Automotive companies by simply talking to them, and we also need to raise awareness to the media that this is a problem worth addressing (looking at you Jalopnik staff).

No longer is having iPod connectivity or Bluetooth enough to attract us to a car. No longer is having an infotainment system that does overly-complicated calculations brushed off as "only something a teenager could understand" enough; that is a terrible excuse, by the way.

Dear generic automaker, fix the issue or else I won't buy your car.

deekster_caddy > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 09:52

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This is such a big deal. Climate controls need to be separate from the 'infotainment' portion, whatever that is. Have a nice touch screen for the radio? Great. But don't make me rely on it for the HVAC.

I still have yet to see any touch screen design that is easy to use while driving. Tactile buttons are also important - the Chevy Volt has capacitive buttons and they sometimes drive me nuts. This is an example of bad buttons, bad layout:

which is really too bad, because I LOVE the car otherwise. You get used to the controls, but you never learn to like them.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 11:36

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I'm happy that there are still manufacturers which haven't gone full bore idiocy. I want separate controls for climate control, since I can adjust those much faster than using the UI.

As a CS guy who did some work in UX, most automakers are relying on "Ooh...shiny!" to sell these things, since they are pretty atrocious to live with. Granted I'm a tech guy, but think about things this way.

Do I want a GPS in my car? No! It's 2014, and I have a smartphone with Google Maps/Apple Maps. New road? As soon as Google knows about it, my GPS knows about it. Who ever actually bought the map updates for their manufacturer GPS? *Can you even GET the updates for older models anymore?* (Think early 2000s Lexuses and Mercedes-Benzes).

Do I want an SD card slot to load music onto a hard drive in my dash? No! I have an iPod/musicPlayer doodad, and I have an AUX in or USB in. The real solution to this is having a standard interface between radio and music player. Due to the iPod's popularity, this is the standard (and then Apple went and screwed it up by changing the dock connector).

No longer is having iPod connectivity or Bluetooth enough to attract us to a car.

No, it's not. Because these are now expected to be standard fit on just about every car, outside of the economic specials that are built to a price point (read: Nissan Versa). The technology is now a commodity, so adding it adds virtually no cost to the manufacturer.

Although I do point out that one of the reasons I didn't buy a Focus ST was the MyFord Touch SYNC dash. It wasn't the touch button dash from the Taurus, but it was the one with buttons everywhere.

While screens and such can be executed well, and executed horribly, this isn't a new problem. Manufacturers have been putting too many buttons on the center stack for ages, and causing issues with the UX.

Screens just make it easier to screw the UX up.

Brian Silvestro > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 18:15

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Also, do automakers really think we're going to choose a $20,000+ car based on our phone's ecosystem (Apple or Google)?

I actually wouldn't be surprised if most people (read: not enthusiasts) considered this as the most important feature. But you make a lot of really good points, good write up.

zeontestpilot > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 18:31

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I'm a Java Application Developer, I love technology. It makes life easier usually. The being said, I hate touchscreens. They get over-worked so easily, pause/slow down, sometimes aren't very efficient in a hurry. It's essentially an OS, and cones with the plagues/issues of a OS. I prefer buttons I can twist and turn, without looking where my hand is, so operate the ac/radio while keeping my eyes in the road.

Burrito de EJ25 > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 18:43

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Can the aftermarket guys get their shit together too?

I'm trying to get something to replace the OEM disaster in my Subaru and everything on the market seems half baked.

CarMudgeon > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 18:47

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Why are they all wasting so much time re-inventing the wheel (with corners). Smartphones have enough horsepower to drive the systems, just develop Android and iOS apps, and provide a mirror touchscreen headunit like this:

Stef Schrader > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 20:05

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{ applauds }

This rant speaks the truth. I don't like a lot of options in my car and I like the ones that get heavy use to be easily accessible. Putting a poorly-designed, poorly-integrated screen in the middle of the dashboard is a good cue for me to buy a lower trim model or something else entirely.

MooseKnuckles > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 21:15

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I think Google might be the one to get a handle on it that sets the trend for a jump in improving in car dash control. And they will make it user friendly for all devices, Android-iOS-WP.

jalop1991 > deekster_caddy 04/10/2014 at 21:20

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You get used to the controls, but you never learn to like them.

I've said that about on-screen keyboards forever. Blackberry rules when you need to do business things like work your email and your calendar.

suss6052 > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 21:29

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MFT has been improved massively from the first revisions, and for the most part I've had no issues with the system in my Focus ST. Mind you I don't have the navigation system installed, but I don't see the need for it.

It's the best infotainment system as far as usability is concerned, well in the touch screen class, and there was next to no learning curve going from the basic sync system to the touch screen, besides the car still has separate physical buttons for everything from the radio to the climate control.

Now Mylink in the Chevrolet Volt I drove last summer for about 3-4 days was just god awful, it looked terrible on the screen and was much more cumbersome to use. Plus the capacitive touch sensitive buttons that were non intuitive as well.

ICantStandNewJalopnik > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 21:30

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My gosh. I'm a tech wiz and am trying to find out what the heck is wrong with MyFord Touch? Are you guys all "incapable of figuring it out?" (I just refrained from using other, not-appropriate things to say.) It doesn't do anything wrong! Is it that you haven't graduated to the next level? Mine has never locked up. My biggest complaint is the cruise control and voice control buttons are the same shape, but on different sides of my Focus ST's wheel. I have much more expensive stuff than this car, and MyFord is the best of the bunch. I would like to say many things about people who have problems with this, but I will refrain. Get an Alpine stereo aftermarket head unit and stop complaining. My gosh. Have you people not driven anything else?

nezuko > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 21:42

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BMW learned with iDrive that people like physical buttons and knobs so they started having redundant controls along with touch. This is probably the best way to go, not touch alone. That said, I do love the Tesla's nicely high-tech look and I'm sure I'd quickly get used to (maybe even reliant upon) the information overload. I would love lots of customization options like different skins, themes and configurable dashboards though.

meatatarian > nezuko 04/10/2014 at 21:48

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iDrive is fantastic. The Lexus mouse-style system is quite good too. Having a physical control in a place where your hand would otherwise be means that the driver has to simply glance at a screen that is placed to be in eye sight, rather than have a reachable touchscreen which necessitates it being farther from the driver's natural line of sight.

Touchscreens seem futuristic and shit, but ergonomically are garbage for use in a car. Center console/shifter area tactile controls+ a screen right in the driver's line of sight are the way to go.

ssidd47 > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 21:50

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I actually wrote about this a while back: http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/the-future-of-…

Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter > jalop1991 04/10/2014 at 21:56

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Precisely why I use an Android with a slide-out keyboard. Unfortunately, those options (slim to begin with) are fading away, and I don't like the Blackberry keyboard.

Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 21:57

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Problem solved.

(one of these days I'll take a pic of my own dash)

jalop1991 > Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter 04/10/2014 at 22:06

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yep. And I never wanted a horizontal bluetooth slideout keyboard; give me a traditional BB and I'm happy. I have WORK to do, people.

I was sad to see Blackberry attack the Typo keyboard for iPhone. It might have made me switch. I think BB should have just bought the company, created BB Software Environment for iOS, and gone forward with a faux BB for the modern times.

ScreenShot > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 22:07

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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

...fixed that for you. You're welcome.

steve_snj > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 22:09

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The reason Apple Car Play will be successful is because of its simplicity. That is the reason the iPhone is still successful for 7 years now. The migration will be seamless. A built in consumer is a companies dream situation.

jeoten > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 22:11

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Well, this is your opinion. Audi's new air vents may be inspired, but they are ugly and I would never put them in my car.

sadfasdf > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 22:26

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I don't want a goddamn screen on my console, period. You want to give me a display, make it a HUD. I want physical buttons, or better yet, a couple of knobs and BIG physical buttons.

If I have to have a touch screen there, I would like it to have large, well-separated active touch areas on anything that can actually be used while driving...and having these locations be textured would be nice, too...that way I don't have to look at the screen to find the button.

Speakers and an amp with a headphone cord would be enough to sell me on a car these days. I'll bring my own whatever the fuck to plug into it, and if it happens to be a smartphone, I'll stick it up where I can pretend it's almost a HUD.

jstump > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 04/10/2014 at 22:28

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REALLY? The reason you didn't get an ST is because of the screen in the dash? Two things with that, 1) Who buys an ST for the infotainment system? I fell in love with the DRIVING not the radio in the ST. And 2) The MFT system really isn't bad. I have not played with the older system and I hear the new version is much better than the old but I have never had an issue navigating the system and using it on a daily basis. In fact, it is much more intuitive than many others I have used. Each corner has its own purpose and you hit the home button to go back to the main menu when in each section. Its not complicated and has never crashed or done anything unexpected in the 8 months I have owned my ST.

Also, in the ST there are physical buttons for most functions of the radio, the phone AND all functions for the climate control so those can't be valid reasons either.

sadfasdf > Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter 04/10/2014 at 22:29

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When I got my first Android phone, I considered getting one of those; but the keyboards were all completely awful, to the point where it didn't seem worth taking up that extra space.

Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter > sadfasdf 04/10/2014 at 22:34

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They're kinda awkward, but before my first Android I had the enV, which flipped open to reveal a keyboard and a bigger screen. Easy switch if you're used to that weird thing.

infl8abletoast > Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter 04/10/2014 at 23:12

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Saab 900!!!

ffoc02 > ICantStandNewJalopnik 04/10/2014 at 23:22

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The biggest issues aren't inexperience, but how the system reacts in various situations. Due to the heavy integration of MyFord touch with various systems, there is a lot going on and not a whole lot of processing power to do it. Say the system jams up trying to update your contact list or mp3 track listing, it can't do anything else until that conflict is resolved. Now take that scenario, while trying to set the climate, input a destination, and tune to a different radio station. This can take minutes if the system gets bogged down. Fortunately for you, the Focus isn't as heavily integrated with Mft. The HVAC has its own controls, the heated seats have their own switches and most don't have a backup camera or nav. Fewer things on its plate, more reliable. The biggest complaints are from Edge and Explorer owners. Take everything your car has and add reverse camera, heated seats controlled directly by Mft, HVAC run through Mft including a rear zone, navigation, ambient lighting, and prob more useless crap. Its too much and the sys locks up.

Joan Barreda Borts 3rd Knee > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/10/2014 at 23:27

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Is it just me that has a problem with these companies fighting over who has the most distracting contraption in a car? Stop making people think inside the box.

Piling on more features doesn't make people less distracted, no matter how intuitive you make it, especially when you have to look at the thing to make it work.

Maybe its a good time to start up a tow truck or bodyshop business.

zeontestpilot > ICantStandNewJalopnik 04/10/2014 at 23:46

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I'm a tech guy too, and I hate all this technology in a car. It's a nice thing to have, granted , but it is a pain when it goes wrong . It does make the dashboard look cleaner as well, but I prefer a physical, touchable interface. Though I am also coming from of the stance of "That's keep it simple". More things added on ate more things likely to go wrong.

sadfasdf > Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter 04/11/2014 at 00:25

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I was initially hoping to find something where I could use the keyboard as game controls for NES/SNES emulation, which 1. probably isn't going to happen software wise, and I wouldn't know where to start to change that, and 2. the buttons themselves were almost all shit, apart from a few weird Japanese phablets from ~2010-2011 (dunno about now).

Bah, I'll probably end up getting a JXD or Much tablet or something one of these days.

cabarne4 > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 04/11/2014 at 01:08

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Oddly enough, yes you still can get CD updates for GPS!

My mom has an '03 Ford Expedition. Hers was the first vehicle that dealer EVER sold with a navigation system. Every few years, my mom would buy new CDs (Ford sends a letter saying "there's an update!"). She got the letter recently, but hasn't updated her CDs in a couple years. Hardly even uses Nav anymore because Google Maps on an iPhone is just that much better.

Up-to-date map / road data, free live traffic in most major metro areas, turn by turn directions, multiple route options and choices? And all of that for free. Yeah, manufacturer's GPS is pretty out of date...

Collin > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 01:49

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Unfortunately, for most of the Jalopnik audience, the best message we can actually send is, "Dear Generic Automaker, fix the issue or else I won't buy your car in five years when it's only worth 30% of what you originally sold it for, and all the systems are outdated at best."

Neutral President > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 01:52

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I think touch interfaces should be outlawed. At least for functions like HVAC. When there's so much attention being paid to distracted driving, it seems most manufacturers are going in the wrong direction. A cool interface in the lab does not always (ever?) translate into a usable interface for the driver of a vehicle in motion. Mazda gets it, at least, with nice tactile dials, buttons and knobs for basic functionality.

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, automotive designers really need to start paying attention to typography. One of the most annoying and obvious examples of this in recent memory has been Ford's instrument cluster. The typeface on the physical gauges uses one typeface (Eurostile extended) whereas everything that appears on the LCD panels on either side and between them uses a different face (Helvetica). This kind of inconsistency drives me nuts, especially when one of the components has a digital interface that could be designed to match the car's physical instruments.

WTF is with car companies' obsession with Eurostile, anyway? It seems like it's everywhere, and usually in ALL CAPS (even though all upper-case lettering has been shown to dramatically reduce readability and legibility).

You guys could do a whol pieceon the typography of the in-car environment. If I had any free time, I'd write it myself!

rabidcontent > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 01:57

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Apple is never the answer because they don't play nicely with others on purpose.

Bobbybollocks > ScreenShot 04/11/2014 at 04:45

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Not really. Weren't you just more than a little bit underwhelmed when you saw it was just the buttons off your phone but in your car?

Bobbybollocks > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 04:50

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The answer is to take the design out of the hands of the car manufacturers. They've proven time and again that they just don't get it.

We need to introduce industry-wide standards that allow developers to build their own interfaces in a safe way that doesn't risk blowing up your car. The modern world uses SDKs and APIs so talented designers and developers the world over can do great stuff with other people's products. It really works and is the only way forward. The car manufacturers have had long enough to sort this out and clearly can't. Time to get off the pot!

Tesla is the biggest disappointment for me. A clean sheet and a receptive audience and that's what they come up with. It doesn't solve any problems, just gives you lots more information in one place.

ICantStandNewJalopnik > ffoc02 04/11/2014 at 05:35

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Interesting. So you're saying later cars were actually designed around the MFT system? Interesting. I guess I'm lucky to have the Focus, then. Mine works great.

jimz > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 07:57

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waaaahhh, my Ferrari has something from a cheaper car in it! My world is shattered!

Carfan77 > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 07:58

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My Ford Touch has a way to go, but IMO still the best system out there.

Admiral Picard > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 08:11

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Because putting all of the controls for everything into one non-tactile, difficult to navigate touchscreen is a vast improvement in the interests of highway safety. Um, sure.

Jesus fucking Christmas, we can't keep people off of their damn phones while they're driving, now we're going to include another giant fucking distraction as part of the fucking car?

Fdor > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 08:39

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You need a full system in a car. You need consistency and ease of use without having to stare at a screen to touch a control. My current vehicle functions just fine, to be honest without having any of the fancy stuff. It is a 2011 Santa Fe Sport and just has a crappy little display for the radio. I plug a USB drive into the car with all my music and it plays whichever album I choose.

I reach out my hand and it easily drops on the basic climate control knobs or the volume control for the stereo. Would I like a built in GPS? Sure. But I don't want it to bring with it a pile of touch screen controls that then force me to stare at the screen every time I want to adjust the volume or change the temperature. In the early days of GPS being in the dash, before touch screens became all the rage, we were probably in a brief glory period of in-car ergonomics. You had nav but you also had lots of buttons that just worked.

We've gone past simple and easy to use into apps for the sake of apps. I don't want apps on my bloody dash. I want navigation, which you can pull data from my phone if you want, and the ability to play some music. THAT IS IT. I'm driving a bloody car, I don't need anything else. Climate control is knobs and physical buttons, not an app.

Ryan Stewart > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 08:45

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There is one thing I still don't like about any of the nearly buttonless or buttonless infotainment systems is they are really not a good idea to manipulate at all while driving.

Touch screens are great for durability and flexibility and i like them for GPS and more complicated functions but for tuning the radio, messing with the A/C and controlling lights and such Id much rather have buttons and knobs.

Right now, if I am a bit warm, I can reach to my knob, turn it to the left two clicks and know without taking my eyes off of the road that I dropped it two degrees.

UncleWalty > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 04/11/2014 at 08:50

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iOS in a car is a dealbreaker for me. I literally would not purchase the car based on that alone. Just this week, I was using my iPad to navigate to a restaurant in ATL....it was several hundred yards off the mark and I ended up having to call the restaurant for directions. FAIL.

Android please.

GTRB26DETT > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 09:16

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I drive the Altima with navigation option and I think its ideal. I have navigation system that's fairly simple and separated HVAC controls. It's simple enough that nothing major will go wrong and it has all the connectivity (blue tooh, USB, ipod etc). Yes the map can be sometimes outdated, especially if youre dealing with closed roads. If so, I just use my google map to go around it and since its connected via Bluetooth, the guidance comes through the speakers.

ALso, people that say navigation systems are useless because they have a smartphone are a bit naive. I've had instances where I travel to Canada or to places with no service and I've gotten screwed because I made a wrong turn (without service, it won't reroute). It's also good to have a 7" screen showing the map and in Altima, the secondary screen in the dash acts as a small navigation screen so I don't have to take my eyes too far off the road. I'm sure this system looks outdated already, but it does the job with simplicity that I don't mind it.

GTRB26DETT > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 09:16

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I drive the Altima with navigation option and I think its ideal. I have navigation system that's fairly simple and separated HVAC controls. It's simple enough that nothing major will go wrong and it has all the connectivity (blue tooh, USB, ipod etc). Yes the map can be sometimes outdated, especially if youre dealing with closed roads. If so, I just use my google map to go around it and since its connected via Bluetooth, the guidance comes through the speakers.

ALso, people that say navigation systems are useless because they have a smartphone are a bit naive. I've had instances where I travel to Canada or to places with no service and I've gotten screwed because I made a wrong turn (without service, it won't reroute). It's also good to have a 7" screen showing the map and in Altima, the secondary screen in the dash acts as a small navigation screen so I don't have to take my eyes too far off the road. I'm sure this system looks outdated already, but it does the job with simplicity that I don't mind it.

Jeb_Hoge > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 09:44

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What's inspiring about this? I admit it's kind of cool having the knobs in the center of the vents but hell, my Ford Contour and my Mazda 6 had the same three-knob layout. Fan speed on the left, mode in the middle, temperature on the right...or something like that, anyway. I might have the positions wrong. Totally manual control, though, but I'd rather have that than automatic because it's easier to make big changes in the output.

Jeb_Hoge > Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter 04/11/2014 at 09:47

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I had an enV and then my first Android phone was an Ally, which had mostly the same keyboard. I could actually touch-type on that thing.

CaptCrunch > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 09:47

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Having just got a new car with this I have to say I do not mind the system in my Dart. Easy to use there are controls for basic functions like radio volume control on a dial and tuning. HVAC all has redundant physical buttons. only issue is you have to use the touch screen for turning on or off the heated seats and steering wheel first world problem.

BiffMagnetude > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 09:55

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I think declaring carplay and whatever google is about to send us a failure as a facade is a massive overstatement and is very poorly supported by a vid of a beta release from a low volume seller. The essential thing here is that those systems are using the phones GPS and internet connection. This is a huge leap forward and it is an important piece of the long term puzzle. I have no desire to pay for two-three separate mobile data connections.

Carplay/vehigoogle or googlerace2000 or googledash are far too young for judgement to be passed. A key is to have manufactures be device agnostic. If an android or IOS user can integrate their device with the same car, the whole world will be the Zippity Do Da scene in Fletch Lives.

Plus as so many have stated, leave the climate control and the volume knob out of the GUI.

danlove > UncleWalty 04/11/2014 at 10:00

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Do you even google, bro?

danlove > Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter 04/11/2014 at 10:03

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You just need a volume knob instead of buttons on that stereo. Otherwise, perfect.

shieldsdb > CarMudgeon 04/11/2014 at 10:12

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I've been seriously looking at these. (I posted the link a few months ago during a similar discussion) Only real question is...does my current touchscreen (2009 mygig) have enough "touchpoints" to properly mirror my phone.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > jstump 04/11/2014 at 10:29

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It is one of many reasons. The other being that the seats (Recaros and standard seats) weren't comfortable to me, the ride wasn't exactly the nicest to live with every day, and the horrid blind spots.

A car gets on my short list because it's good to drive. A car gets in my garage because it's easy to live with every day. The Focus ST didn't pass the Live-with-it-every-day-on-broken-pavement test.

Also, in the ST there are physical buttons for most functions of the radio, the phone AND all functions for the climate control so those can't be valid reasons either.\

Also, let's be clear that there are two SYNC systems in the Focus. One is the MyFord SYNC, and the other is MyFord Touch SYNC.

Adding buttons from a UX viewpoint doesn't fix the core issue. Can I figure Ford SYNC (Non-touch and touch) out? Yes, and I have (I travel for work, and tend to get Ford Escapes from Avis). Add to this the *LAYOUT* of the buttons, and you have a melange of mediocrity.

Here's MyFord SYNC:

This is what would be termed "A Disaster". The buttons are too small, especially on the keypad, and the soft keys are not visually linked to their functions on the display.

Now, here's MyFord Touch in a Focus:

This is *better*, but there are a few main points here. One, while the interaction touchpoints are better than the other system, some of them aren't exactly intuitive (i.e. is the volume knob a 5 way joystick, or is it a knob inside a tilting dish). Two, the HVAC controls, while being lower on the stack, are set back in the dash. Add to this the buttons outside AUTO and MAX A/C are on the small side, and their questionable placement (MAX A/C makes sense in the center of a temperature knob, AUTO does not. It makes far more sense on a FAN knob, or as a separate button).

Let's take a look at an even better layout, MyFord Touch in a new Taurus:

This is better than the Focus layout. I'm not a fan of capacitive controls, but the layout is far better. One, HVAC controls at the same level as the touch controls for the radio and GPS. Two, the digital HVAC controls that control a level (Fan, Temperature) are side by side. The most commonly used control is center left (AUTO), and temperature is controlled below that. Three, the touchscreen isn't set back as far as it is on the Focus. This puts any screen controls in easier reach.

The Taurus dash provides the same functionality as the Focus dash, but it does so without appearing busy and unintuitive.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > cabarne4 04/11/2014 at 10:37

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I was basing this off the parts desk at my local BMW dealer and the local M-B dealer. Neither of them have updates for systems before 2005 or so. But they have the last published updates :)

AJF34074923 > UncleWalty 04/11/2014 at 10:50

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You do realize that you can use Google Maps on an iPad don't you ? Which is still arguably much better than Apple Maps.

jstump > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 04/11/2014 at 10:54

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I do agree, the standard SYNC is not very intuitive. I had a rental Fusion about a month ago and was less than impressed. But you said the TOUCH SYNC was the reason you didn't buy an ST which IMO has none of the issues the standard system has. The center button on the Touch system is not a joystick, it is a knob with a 4 way pad around it just to clarify.

As far as the HVAC controls go, the buttons could be a bit larger, it doesn't bother me but I also don't have sausages for fingers(no offense if you do), and the controls being recessed a bit(like an inch) should not be an issue unless you are a T-Rex(I am picturing a T-Rex with huge hands in my head right now and cracking myself up at work!), the placement of the Auto button is just you being nit picky. What OTHER button would you put there? It makes perfect sense to have that there, that is the AUTO Temperature control inside the Temperature knob. It is not a fan speed control, and if it were I would agree it does not belong, but it is mostly a temperature control button that happens to adjust the fan speed as well, the primary function of the button however is to get the temperature to the desired level. You set the temperature you want, press Auto and let the system do the rest.

Vie Ventar > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 11:17

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There is one example I always point to if somebody asks me what entertainment system I want in a car.

None.

Ok, maybe a set of speakers I can plug the phone into, but I can do that with a simple set of bluetooth speakers if need be.

mroberts > CarMudgeon 04/11/2014 at 11:18

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Car makers are terrible at UI. Why not admit defeat? This isn't what they're good at. They should provide a software interface to all of their systems and allow an app from a phone or tablet to connect securely via a wireless connection allowing you to control the car from your phone or tablet. The manufacturer could still provide a basic app, but it would only be a matter of time before software designers will have created nice UI's that interface with all major brands.

Push the screen and interface to a dash-mounted device and you now have the best phone integration on the planet.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > jstump 04/11/2014 at 11:38

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The only thing inside a temperature knob should be related to temperature. If it controls other things, it's not intuitive. So I wouldn't put AUTO on a Temperature knob. On/Off might be a better choice, along with the HVAC system being in AUTO unless explicitly overridden. Then relegating AUTO to the place of the current On/Off would be a better choice.

One knob to control HVAC. Push to turn on and off, twist to control temperature.

Think about this. Does anyone have to tell you how to work a door handle? Good design means that you don't have to explicitly tell the user how to do something. Ergonomics means that the human is considered in operating the system. When speed to market takes precedence (Focus and Escape/Kuga share the dash), these things go out the window.

At worst, you end up with a TVR. At best, it's merely a forgettable experience.

jstump > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 04/11/2014 at 11:57

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So you are saying if the button did NOT adjust fan speed it would be ok? The only reason it adjust the fan is due to an extreme temperature change. Increasing the temp 1 degree is not going to make the fan speed change, setting the temp to max heat however will because the system is like "Oh shit! He wants it REALLY hot now, pump up the fan so we can get that temperature ASAP" the 2 go hand in hand. I still think you are being nit picky lol.

f5alcon > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 04/11/2014 at 12:25

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It would be nice to output my phones GPS data to the screen on my car, an 8" screen is much nicer to look at.

Manuél Ferrari > meatatarian 04/11/2014 at 12:45

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+1

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > jstump 04/11/2014 at 13:28

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I consider it a "Resume normal operations" button. This is because it controls air mixing (temperature), air distribution, and fan speed based upon the requested temperature and the current delta.

This is because you are telling the system to resume control over any prior overrides that you entered into the system.

Here's a reasonable option for how to deal with the auto button:

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > f5alcon 04/11/2014 at 13:30

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This is one of those things which doesn't exist as widely as it should. At least some cars now let you stream the voice prompts over the BT Audio connection.

Ted Ladue > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 13:38

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This is the key question, I think:

Also, do automakers really think we're going to choose a $20,000+ car based on our phone's ecosystem (Apple or Google)?

And the answer might be: "well yeah kinda!". And that's a terrible answer.

In my mind, the manufacturers should be OS neutral.

In fact, the interface in the vehicle should do nothing but interface with whatever device you currently have with you. It should (elegantly) sync up with your selected mobile device. Non-Core functionality (think music, nav, etc) should BE the functionality on your phone, shown on this different interface - much in the same way a site/app adapts to a different view (mobile vs desktop). That way you already know how it works, you don't have to learn anything and YOU have the ultimate control.

Interactions that are vital to the cars operation - heating/cooling - should likely always be tactile, possibly buttons - something that will not stop functioning when the computer on the vehicle is outdated.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro 04/11/2014 at 13:40

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Here is the one thing I really want that would be super easy for the car companies to do and would help with the issue a lot: create an industry standard socket to attach phone mounts to. That way if you hate the car's system or didn't opt for their navigation you can buy a phone holder that is built to hold whatever phone you have snugly. That holder would attach securely and safely to the car's socket.

The problem with mounting phones now is that there is no good way to do it. You can use those suction cup things to attach the mount to your windshield if that's legal in your state. But that is awkward and takes away from your vision of the road.

Everyone is already used to using whatever navigation app they normally use on their phone. Navigation is a good thing to have while driving. Lots of states allow you to use your phone for navigation while driving. The thing that sucks about it is holding your phone while driving is dangerous. If cars were built to making mounting easy and reliable we'd all be better off.

But the car companies will never give us this. They'd rather force feed us their systems because that lets them sell extra features for profit. They want to retain control and not let us safely use our own device.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari 04/11/2014 at 13:42

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That last paragraph is exactly why they'll never do it. They'd rather sacrifice user satisfaction to make a profit.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro 04/11/2014 at 13:47

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Which is a bummer. Cause it's not just about satisfaction. This can impact safety.

They want to force everyone to use their navigation but not everyone is good at learning a new UI. With all phones other than iPhone already being massive and the massive iPhone coming this year most people will have massive phones soon. Once a non-technical person finally gets used to whatever navigation app they prefer on their phone they'd probably be better off mounting their phone and using it for nav than fumbling through some other system. You can still route calls through the car's bluetooth for safety. It's just the nav app that would be better used on the phone itself in some cases.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari 04/11/2014 at 13:54

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Exactly, you hit the nail right on the head. People don't like change, and the less they have to deal with it, the more comfortable they are.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro 04/11/2014 at 14:03

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And some people are just not very capable of change. It takes my Mom at least a year to learn a new interface. If there was an easy, safe and reliable way to mount stuff in your car then I could just buy her a good stand alone nav unit. Once she got good at that interface she'd be set for years as it wouldn't change. Then she wouldn't be all confused if her car gets totaled and she needs to buy a new one (which happened, the switch from Lexus to Mercedes was very confusing to her).

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari 04/11/2014 at 14:08

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My mom is the same way. We bought her an iPhone, and it took her months to be able to figure out the basics. This is probably how the majority of society works when it comes to cars.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro 04/11/2014 at 14:10

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It took my Mom a year to figure out basic functions. And there is still some middle level stuff she doesn't understand after years with the iPhone.

The big iOS change (was it 6?) really threw her off. It was almost like learning a whole different OS. She was so pissed, haha

jeepsta > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 17:12

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I would prefer an empty place in the dash where I could install my own third party infotainment system. That system would have a 6 CD changer, Radio, Bluetooth and maybe navigation if it was Google navigation. I have been looking at new cars and I really don't like what I see.

Grenader > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 04/11/2014 at 19:03

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So now we have to choose our next Automobile purchase based on which type of cell phone we have? Because you know in your Silicone Valley heart, that no Apple CarPlay is going to connect to a Samsung phone, right?

emjayay > Neutral President 04/12/2014 at 00:17

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I looked it up. Now I know what Eurostile is. Thanks.

lee > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 05/20/2014 at 05:30

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Interesting statement you make: Dear generic automaker, fix the issue or else I won't buy your car.

I really don't understand why we're obsessed with "being locked in" to what the big brands push in our face. I read that a lot of Apple fans will buy a new car just to get CarPlay - it is a little misleading in my opinion. CarPlay is already on the device - go buy a mount for it or pay a bit extra to for a pro float ipad mini mount and keep your classic car.

For these very reasons, I have been working on an iOS app that hooks into CarPlay's functionality and can encapsulate many other functions and uses inside one app. I don't want to blatantly plug what I'm working on but sometimes feel the need to share an alternative to the corporate strangulation that is happening in the market. My product is called Dashbox and like I mentioned, it uses under the hood CarPlay functions such as bluetooth connection which allows steering wheel controls and sound to pass through your sound system. It also has maps, a world radio player, a browser, YouTube, videos, caller and gadgets and widgets all wrapped up in a pixel perfect and consistent design. You can even access the cloud for your music and videos and other things that these "locked in" systems won't offer like eyes free gestures for music control - this is especially great for older model cars that do not have steering controls and more importantly, for safety.

I think it's time more designers and developers begin to think about the everyday devices we carry in our pockets and utilise their power and multi gesture capabilities to deliver what the car manufacturers cannot.

If you want to check out my products, go search for Dashbox or iCarConnect on the Apple Store. I would be interested to hear other opinions.

Timm > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 09/12/2014 at 07:30

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I couldn’t agree more. The problem is deeply rooted in the innovation and design process of most car manufacturers, as they are mechanical engineering centered.
We at Raureif Automotive wrote a short piece about the negative implications of iOS CarPlay and Android Auto on Medium.com https://medium.com/@raureif/is-io…

While iOS CarPlay and Android Auto will make phone calls and music selection easier, they will also make all other user interfaces in the car look dated, complicated, and bad.

The article is a brief analysis of the car industry's User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) dilemma. It includes a definition of what the in-car UX actually is.

TheHondaBro > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 02/14/2015 at 18:46

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I'm sorry but this is the greatest thing ever.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 02/14/2015 at 22:17

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What aggravates me the most about the current crop of infotainment systems is the arrogance of the OEMs. There's 20 years of experience of thousands of developers in the CarPC community and they never bothered to consult with a single one. We've wrestled with the ergonomics of touch screens for years, played with capacitive and multi-touch, discarded the idea of integrating climate controls long ago, discussed and debated button locations/hierarchy/layout till we were blue in the face, created dual lighting systems with separate coordinated day and night screens. I currently maintain a library of over 80 screen layouts and systems that I have tested. Two that I use most often, make that 4, I use them in both landscape- and portrait-mode on my 10.4" display. C'mon OEMs quit trying to reinvent the wheel.

I will give them credit for one thing (as if they had a chose), the proprietary systems are opening up, if for no other reason than they know not to fight/compete with smartphone integration. Be it bluetooth or wifi, access to contacts or music, they knew enough to include some.

It seems the touchscreen takeover is inevitable. Hopefully, the OEMs will pull their collective heads out of their asses to hire ergonomic engineers and fix this crap.

Here's my favorite night time landscape main screen for your time.

karakal > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 02/16/2015 at 08:12

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Sorry. This is the most awful thing I have ever seen.