2021 - 2023

I study a lot of interactive vehicle systems (aka. Human-Machine Interfaces) – in fact all of them. And I have come to the conclusion that most OEMs and start-up vehicle companies are going to great lengths to define more or less that same experience. Sure, some of the components might be shaped and oriented differently, some content might come from a cloud and some might support an app and service that another cannot – but for the most part, capability are the same across new SUVs, sedans and trucks.

That said, I suggest it is time to push the boundaries of future business, technology and user-models and usher in something new – or else everyone is going to be making vehicles for the Google Android Auto OS and Google’s related suite of services. It is unfortunate that the consumer perception of so many functions and controls in contemporary vehicles skew negative.

I started with 30 days of provocation and it was well received, so it has now been extended to 60 days. Enjoy.

Day 3: My Services Integrated

Imagine if you could bring up to (5) services with you and have them tightly integrated into the vehicle as part of the purchase process. What level of value, ease and brand loyalty would this provide you?

Day 4: Voice Assistants

When will voice input in the vehicle really work as a comprehensive interaction modality? It appears that we are now rushing to extend the semi-comprehended dialogues to be passed between multiple agents? My home assistant talks to my Car assistant who talks to my Banking assistant who talks to my Phone assistant. In principle, assistant comprehension and ability should increase with each hand-off. How will you feel when one assistant responds to the other “Er, I don’t understand the ask?” or “let me get back to you.”

Day 5: Visual Digital Design

2-D / Flat, Skewmorphic, 3-D, cinematic, monochrome, wireframes to ray-traced rendering. If executed with design sensitivity (of contrast, size, proportion, color, etc.) does the visual effect applied to my in-vehicle user interfaces really effect the usefulness of the vehicle?

Perhaps the applied visual style should be more informed by the brand and the desired emotional response that the OEM hopes to elicit from consumers? Only of late (say the last few model years), have some more pronounced digital visual treatments felt like an extension of or statement from the brand.

Day 6: My Custom Buttons

Should the only physical buttons in my vehicle cockpit be Call My Best Friend, Take Me Home & Play My Playlist – with the option to add and program 2-3 more? Imagine if the functions and labels in a vehicle were task centric.

Day 7: Granularity of Temp Settings

Why do some temperature settings have .5 increments? Where else in my life do I care if the temp is 70.5 degrees Fahrenheit versus 70 or 71? Should extra decimal digits be reserved to body temp only? Do consumers care or does it add needless complexity and cognitive load?

Day 8: Please Wait While I Connect

Surveys indicate that 40% of global owners do not realize that they are driving a connected car and that in general, consumers are confused by what it means to be “connected to the cloud”. Some of these systems cause the center screen to freeze or change their state while they “Refresh or Update or Connect or Acquire a signal”.

Is this a consequence of being high-tech and connected? Connected system interruptions to the driving experience need to be removed.

Day 9: Drag & Drop Customization

Is drag & drop customization in a vehicle ever a good idea? My assumption is that this happens in Park or via remote customization (not while driving). That said, any shift in the location of a function requires new learning and recall or more effort and time. Obviously, different generations have different expectations and abilities, but in the context of a moving vehicle, is this something that should be encouraged?

Day 10: The Cost of Features Never Used

If a vehicle feature is never used, then does it really exist? It’s definitely on the books and baked-in to the cost of the vehicle but it provides no value. And if a feature is only use once in the lifetime of ownership, then does it have an even greater negative value? Imagine if the cost of the vehicle varied based on the features that I selected to be “on boarded” or that I used on-demand. The vehicle is not a fixed cost, but an assistive functional delivery platform with variable daily, weekly, monthly or annual costs. Here’s hoping that deeper analytics and insights will inform new models of ownership and experience.

Day 11: Modulating Function & Behavior to Me

Are nuances of learned technology behavior coming to vehicle controls? Imagine a future where the system learns my risk thresholds and/or the context of my actions and adjusts control and functional behavior, like setting ADAS and towing functions. This seems like a very far cry from an unnatural nudge or prompting me to purchase a coffee or to call my Mom. That said, some OEMs have formally stated that this reflection of you in their vehicle controls is their intention. Is this the future of our machine learned and personally-curated driving experience?

In the case of new cockpit or component design, I always take pride in the consumer response of “I don’t know why it feels and works better, it just does.”

Day 12: Haptics, Lighting & Sound vs. Screens

Is it possible to design an entirely effective (useful, usable and learnable) driver feedback system with no integrated screens – relying only on haptics, lighting and sound? Can feedback that is ambient, directional and full of meaning replace the need to scan, find, read and touch digital buttons? As systems intervene and take-over and we can divert our attention, how will the automated transport shuttles of the future get your attention? A few like Canoo and Zoox seem to be working embracing that challenge absent of giant screens.

Day 13: The Effect of Glass

Drivers and passengers get anxious if an in-vehicle display is turned off or is in a “blank” state. Glass displays have become our primary interface with so much of the world including its events, its media, our relationships, our needs and our awareness. Multiple generations now instinctively reach-out and touch glass within their reach.

What are the long-term effects of dozens of square inches of screen display in your vehicles that distribute content, enable interaction, update, notify and support a “Calm” mode? Should there be a correlation between the amount of glass / display real-estate is in the cockpit and how much assisted driving is enabled by that vehicle?

Day 14: The End of Settings

Vehicle feature Settings are a reflection of many things - most notably a company’s organizational structure, decision making process, desired brand perception and continuous romance with technology. Because of their proliferation and orientation (centralized, distributed, on-board, off-board, triggered by use, etc.), finding them and comprehending them can be messy.

As familiarity with intelligent system grows amongst the general public, expectations of what is “Automatic & Automated” continues to increase. I believe that good design is the ability to design and deliver a system that works as humans would expect it to, without the need for endless variability and adjustment. Perhaps patterns, algorithms and distributed processing will get us to a place where the organization could not?

Day 15: The Most Useful Displays

Is the heads-up-display or HUD the most useful and safest of all of the information displays that a driver has access to? Should they be complementary to, redundant to or a replacement for the display cluster? Many folks state that once they have had a HUD, then they will always have a HUD.

Can we say that the windshield and the mirrors were the first and have always been the most useful piece of glass in the vehicle? Can you imagine a driving experience where all information display comes through the windshield, side windows and mirrors?

Day 16: The Next Luxury

Contemporary luxury comes to life just as it did in the past, via access, convenience, indulgence and assistance, but the shape of those experiences is ever changing. Access to power and fast, reliable charging, the convenience of in-vehicle warm and cool zones and perfect quality air, and the assistance of machine sensing and intervention just to name a few. The next luxury will enable you to “let go” both physically and mentally.

That said, it appears that the automation of service integration, well-being, assistance and access to power will continue to be delivered in packages of good, better, best – where the luxury over-the-air ticket will continue to cost more. Can we expect that government assistance of infrastructure and the shortened-cycle of digital infrastructure roll-out will speed democratization?

Day 17: Your Most Loved Feature

What is the most frequently reference “loved” feature or capability in a today’s vehicles, especially those of a repeat purchase of the same make and model? And shouldn’t that feature exist in every new vehicle?

And as for and individual’s personal favorite, especially when making a same brand purchase, shouldn’t they be able to ensure that it will be in their next vehicle even if it has to be added in the delivery process or at the dealership? New capability will be added and the universal favorites ought to be left alone.

Day 18: The Convenience of State Retention

Should your vehicle’s infotainment system be reset to the Homescreen on each ignition (or) should the vehicle “retain the state” of how it was last used? What are the chances that you want to do what you were last doing in the vehicle?

As displays get larger and screen layouts now have a few regions displaying active apps, is a Homescreen add value? I think that the continuous interaction of the HyperCard Stacks had it right.

Day 19: Human Confidence Versus Machine Certainty

Confidence is often communicated in colors so it is approximate and referential. “Degree of certainty” often feels more analytical and is expressed as a percentage. Our lives are full of these everyday “conversations” that range from positive reinforcement, to some degree of assurance to empirically validated statistical proof.

Today’s interactive vehicle dialogue is a branded combination of signals, prompt and meanings that consist of light patterns, descriptive words, color strips (in a few locations), graphic representations, sounds, vibrations and more. And as you meet a new brand, then you begin a new dialogue.

Day 20: Integrated Metadata & Seamless Interaction

Is there anything more useful than having access to your Calendar and all related events, people, location, times and other associated data available and integrated in the center screen? Click the event and launch the map and tell the folks at your destination that you are running late.

For so long, the only metadata integrated in our experience was “now playing” artist info and logos from a radio station populating. Will the company that can thread together the most layers of contextual metadata and connected functions in the vehicle provide the most value to consumers? Will this capability be relinquished to external supported services and supported systems from Apple, Google and Amazon?

Day 21: Future Vehicle OS Preference

The iOS and Android smartphone market share is more or less equal. If Android Auto OS proliferates into a standard across the industry, are iOS owners going to purchase those vehicles (or will this be a show-stopper)? The majority of new car owners don’t know or care what their vehicle OS is. However, that was also once the case for mobile phones and now we have all gotten religion.

At what point will the dealer consciously not mentioned to the customer holding an iPhone that the car they are interested in “is running the latest version of Android and will support the next two versions”? This dilemma is coming and “Ew, David! could become Ew, Android!” for many.  Maybe for the next few model years, we can expect the support of Google Maps, Spotify, Apple Music, Bluetooth and even a popular payment app (Visa Pay?) as primary purchase influencers – but the OS battle will come. Can we expect an Apple iOS or Amazon embedded operating system in the near future?

Day 22: The Continuous Improvement of Assist

Industry belief is that the value of being first to market with a feature outweighs any usability challenges. In our competitive feature driven “get it here first” consumer world, perceived competitive pressure and marketability sometimes defines what it is we have to design and make work in a vehicle. And often, the first few generations of implementation suffer from tech immaturity and they do not work for consumers very well. Sometimes they evolve into easy-to-use, highly consumer valued functions – and sometimes it doesn’t matter how well they work, nobody needs them.

Interestingly, most of these features have the word “Assist” in their feature titles (like Auto Park, Park Out, Trailer Tow, Driver Assist to name a few). Perhaps it ought to be mandated that these Assistive features ought to be able to be improved and upgraded (in the same vehicle) over time.

Day 23: Shortcuts & Widgets

Should the shortcuts and widgets that I have customized on my phone automatically transfer to my infotainment screen? Android Auto and CarPlay do it now, but how about in my native embedded infotainment user interface?

Is the contextual relevance of what I do with my phone (of time, place, people, information and more) the same as what I do in my vehicle? Not quite. Can we skip the inclusion of more shortcuts and widgets and translate their meaning into intelligent prompts and predictive dialogues?

Day 24: The So-Called “Modern Look”

Containing most of a vehicle’s interactivity in flat hard surfaces, specifically large interactive glass surfaces is the convenient, unsophisticated path to a “modern look”. Reality is that clean lines and simple shapes of integrated controls, a balance of information, the right tactile feel and feedback and mixed materials can be combined in a way that conveys value, substance, luxury and modernity – far greater than the touch of glass. Also, not all controls will be upgraded over time and when architected appropriately, both physical and digital controls can be improved.

From everyday used controls that are 3 clicks away to the six-inch-long sliding control to adjust my cabin temp to the inadvertent actuation of the Tesla Plaid Yoke steering wheel controls, it is all just starting to feel like an empty pursuit. My expectation is that because of their challenges while driving, these systems will be corrected in mid-cycle refreshes or in the next model year after major industry analysts tell most that they are problematic and difficult to use.<yet again>.

Day 25: Raise the Emotion

Given the cost of my new vehicle, shouldn’t the digital interactive experience (heck, the overall experience) be equal to that of my own Super Hero, or Chief of Staff, or favorite heirloom, or super workstation, or precision tool, or favorite spa – or any of those when I need or desire it?

We seem to have achieved the delivery of clear function, comfort, task and transport efficiency, but is it an experience that we cherish? What comes after all of this utility? Maybe it’s time for more personality, character, uniqueness, distinction and magic designed and engineered into the systems.

Day 26: Interaction in a Shared Ride

In a shared-ride scenario, shouldn’t all of my interactions with the vehicle or driver or the operating system be able to be done in private? I want to adjust my temperature, my seat, my podcast, my stop.

Day 27: The Feature Value Exchange

One of the effects of digital transformation and infrastructure is that consumers are starting to expect a trial period and a refund for the services that they do not use. They are also starting to pay variable rates due to usage.

What is the most effective man-machine vehicle dialogue for a Connected Features that has a 30-day trial period or that will expire after 12 months? Countdowns, state changes, text notifications, all of the above? If they are free for a year or say 3-years (like some OEMs are offering), will consumers be irreconcilably disappointed with the brand when they disappear? Or will they realize that only 1 of the 10 features has any value to them – and they can live without it?

Maybe the first step to creating a mindset of on-demand features is to “Flash Off” the features (and purchases made via Options) that are never used and then give the consumer a partial refund? Start with giving back before asking for more.

Day 28: Good, Better, Best

It seems that the future of “cockpit design”, or the design of systems of interactions for human drivers to efficiently and safely operate a vehicle is going to continue for a few more generations. The questions of “what can my car do?” has always been a problematic consumer question. Digital transformation is now ushering in even more variability across multiple functional domains and consumers are confused. These include capabilities and functions related to connected features (maps, parking, coffee, tolls, fuel, weather, etc.), driver assistance, personal assistance, charging details, personalization and customization.

I suggest that adoption of new access, ownership and subscription mindsets and models will require this variability to make more sense. What seems to be missing is a clear categorization of the levels of connectivity or assistance or personalization that you get for the money. Consumer’s think in terms of “Good, Better or Best” combos applied to their real-world needs, tasks and activities. This clarity also needs to be consistent through corporate marketing, people, apps, the in-vehicle dialogue and more.

Day 29: Contextual Reveal

There is something inherently cool about making a form magically appear. And then if it has a practical use and is something that I need at that moment, Whew, even better.  In the past, we have made screens appear, knobs emerge from surfaces, button labels change, embedded LEDs appear and more.

Maybe this contextual reveal is the future of actuating controls only when you need them, or of presenting individual control zones to passengers, or of the next interaction paradigm where surface anticipate needs?

Day 30: The Influence of the Org

The most significant influence and direct impact on today’s HMI solutions is the culture and organization from which products, features and services come. The process of … idea generation, decision making, debate, influence, perceived competitive pressure, the company’s brand positions, prototyping investment, the path to integration and so much more.

Beyond the development processes, the decision-making path and multi-disciplined teams crafting the solutions are all influenced by the organizational structure. Where does Design, HMI and UX “sit” within the enterprise? How many similar groups across multiple divisions contribute to these solutions? Why are Design Studios, Interaction Groups, UX Labs and Customer Experience in separate divisions and buildings? These distances, redundancies and possible ambiguities of roles are reflected in the experiences that customers have with your brand and its products and services.

The good news is that Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) is a fundamental Critical Issue that will continue to drive the success of the automotive / mobility industry. Empower, inspire, respect and elevate those efforts.

In 2021, I posted one provocation per day for 30 days about the future of vehicle Human-Machine Interface (HMI). It was easy because the automotive design and mobility industries more or less compete based on what the other is doing. This competition breeds familiarity for consumers, fleet operators, analysts and others; however, it also promotes very little brand differentiation.

So, what has changed in more recent models? Well, buttons are cleanly arranged linearly, components now appear more intentionally integrated, screens continue to get larger and content and functions continue to be positioned in the center instrument panel orientation. And capacitive, membrane, haptic-based buttons persist with slight variations of look and feel. And the majority of new vehicles remain a few generations behind other “connected” categories of products like home entertainment and telecom.

What follows are 30 more considerations that challenge this status quo and consider “What’s Next”.

Day 31: The Confusion of Turning Functions OFF

The pervasive use of OFF buttons in vehicles has always felt to me like the manufacturer is saying “we created this feature, but we’re not really sure that we got it right” (or) “there may be times when you find this annoying”.

Do physical buttons work the same way as digital ones? Is it more understandable if the word OFF is arranged vertically? Should there be a separate button bank for turning functions Off?

These most basic, most critical interactions ought not be confusing to consumers. Can we imagine the vehicle interface with no OFF buttons?

Day 32: Energy Trade-offs in the Interface

What are you willing to trade-off, turn-Off and adjust to enable more EV range on a trip and lifetime battery performance? Since every component and function is drawing power from the battery, are you willing to ride in a cold cabin with a cold seat in silence with the windows up to gain 12-20 more miles? More “transparency” and dialogue of the cause and effect of power usage is being added to our interfaces. Will these new considerations become a ritual in EV driving?

What is the difference between the consumer’s perceived value and the business’ perceived value per (additional) mile of range? And how does that vary per distance, per destination, per time-of-day, per season, per model of vehicle, per charging cycle, etc.? The best indicator <again> may be what have we learned from the adoption and evolution of power saving prompts, tools and behaviors with our smart phones?

Day 33: The Ultimate Feedback Channel

The Hummer Mode button offers the driver a means to provide dynamic feedback and recommendations in the moment. What were they thinking? This feels like a function that was created to capture feedback from internal Managers as they test-drove the prototypes. And then someone thought, "let’s leave it and get direct feedback on-the-fly directly from actual drivers and passengers. And maybe over time, we “update” it to some other function." (or) It was planned and scoped all-along.

If positioned, evolved, extended and valued correctly, this might become the best consumer feedback channel for GM (starting with those affluent Hummer owners) or any vehicle manufacturer. Bravo.

Day 34: HMI & the Meditative Nature of Driving

How do interior design and HMI design choices enable drivers to “free their minds to wonder” and “let their subconscious work-on complex problems”? Accessibility, universal and inclusive operational design along with a high degree of usefulness and ease-of-use of functions and controls ought to be standard in all vehicles.

More attention, consisting of conceptual design, development and measurement, ought to be placed on the holistic effect that a space and its human-machine interaction and dialogue has on the driver. Perhaps it is the ease-of-use, clarity and efficiency of a system along with a familiar route that enables us to achieve a heightened emotion and cognitive wellbeing? Should “unlocking and stimulating parts of the brain” be a metric associated with a successful fluid and natural design?

Day 35: Responsive & Adaptive Infotainment

The future of infotainment is responsive and adaptive. Content and functionality will be managed and modulated based on “context” – of the driver, of the destination, of the time of day and more. Don’t do anything and just let the vehicle curate the environment that is right for you based on time-of-day, your wellbeing, your destination, other passengers and more. Curation will consist of music tracks, journey status updates, important and contextual notifications and a meaningful conversation with a digital assistant if desired.

An understanding of numerous personal and environmental conditions informs the functionality and content that is served-up.  As with any good design, you might not even notice what is happening, but you will feel at ease enroute and a positive change at your arrival – whether you are driving or being driven.

Day 36: From Drive Modes to Drive Moods

More importance is placed on the ability to adjust your vehicle’s suspension, pedal response and traction (to provide a different driving feel) than is placed on making the driver feel alert, energized, ready for the work day or rejuvenated for his / her next encounter.

When will the vehicle sensors that recognize rain or snow or sand or mud or rocks automatically adjust the vehicle’s driving mode? At what point in future cycles of smart, connected vehicle experience design will establishing the right interior mood matter?

I suggest that it is time to shift much of the spend and effort spent on physical ride quality to that of mental ride quality – at least for some obvious vehicle segments.

Day 37: Gestures as a Viable Interaction Paradigm

In-vehicle functionality continues to increase and become more complex; however, the physical volumes of interiors are not changing much and the measures of our physical reach are not changing at all.

Maturing sensors, algorithms and interaction in a 3rd dimension will effectively expand our reach and at the same time increase the accuracy of system understanding. Having had the experiences of designing and implementing gestures for workstations, virtual worlds, phones and automobiles (all with limited success), it feels like the time might be right for mass adoption of that next interaction paradigm. Familiarity and comfort with touch-less kiosks and access to and interaction with buildings and public places may be the learning & habit-forming platforms.

As Interaction and HMI Designers, it is our job to learn from the trials, adoption, customization, avoidances and annoyances of historical attempts across industries and contexts - and design a better, more simple and more natural gesture and voice vocabulary for safe, reliable and everyday use. The results may lead to doing away with much of today’s physical and digital in-vehicle user interface. 

Day 38: Visualizing the Journey Ahead

When headed to a new destination by car, we often reflect on “what’s ahead of us” and what to expect during the upcoming journey. We momentary reflect on past experiences on this or a similar route and what we know about the terrain, the traffic, the scenery, the stops and more.

Imagine if, just prior to or as you depart, you had the option to get a brief (say 1-minute max) comprehensive, curated summary of what to expect on your trip based on an intelligent synthesis of anticipated conditions. In most cases, the more context that you have about the journey ahead, the better you feel.

Day 39: The Undeniable Physical Button

The desire to have “physical knobs & buttons for (primary) controls” is consistently amongst the Top 5 desired features in new vehicle purchases - globally. If you are not delivering those physical elements that matter the most, then you are forcing consumers to make trade-offs and compromises of preference and ease-of-use.

Although almost every global OEM now states that “we put the customer at the center of everything that we do (and/or) every decision that we make”, many embrace interactive compromises in modern vehicles in exchange for a “slick, future look”. Perhaps haptics, backlighting, sensors and edges ought to be applied to physical buttons to make their interaction more perfect?

Day 40: Disappearing Displays

Now that front facing cameras are becoming prevalent, should an option exist to make the view in front of the vehicle project through the vehicle displays? Information is more often being displayed over-top of the real world, much like a heads-up-display (HUD), via projections, geo-triggered content, transparent displays and the like. If you have ever driven a vehicle that can place the real world into all of the cockpit displays, the feeling is interestingly liberating as the vehicle partially disappears and your visual connection to the road and the surroundings increases significantly.

Today it is a technology showcase (like AR Camera or Night Vision in the Escalade) and maybe in the future, a new drive mode. Call it “Reality Mode” or “Surround Mode” (or something else). No doubt the next step is to show an augmented camera view, street map view and aerial view all at the same time on a super-sized display. Maybe we can skip that step?

Day 41: The Future of Augmented (Sales & Marketing) Reality

Will augmented reality (AR) content and applications progress from being displayed in embedded and brought-in displays to eventually filling all of the windows of the vehicle? Will an option in older vehicles be to dawn a helmet or goggles or AR glasses to leverage the augmented world?

Will I need to confirm my identity, choose cookie settings, unsubscribe and download updates during my journey? “Your 17-minute AV ride will be free if you agree to enjoy the messages from our sponsors.” That said, the AR overlay of building address #s on both sides of the street is a welcomed addition.

Day 42: The Holographic Digital Assistant

The Holographic Digital Assistant. Will you choose from a menu of Big Tech manifested characters (or) be provided a default? Will this be the rebirth of animated brand characters? Will actors receive residuals for every interaction with their persona?

“Our research shows that 93% of participants want the same holographic assistant that lives with them in their home to be with them in their vehicles.” Source: Unbiased data from The Future. 

Day 43: HUD as Primary (or only) Display

In some contemporary vehicle designs, the cluster seems to be getting smaller and thinner. At the same time, heads-up-displays (HUDs) are replacing clusters and becoming a more prominent high-tech and safety element of the driving experience. So, who is going to be the first OEM to make the HUD the primary and only driver display (or maybe passenger display) in the vehicle?

I am putting my money on a French company. Or maybe it is going to be a start-up or a tech company who designs and builds a vehicle without the residual cultural and organizational overhead. We can carry-over components (or) reduce and embrace the next interactive paradigms and the devices with displays that all drivers and passengers bring with them. Regulations will continue to evolve and HUD availability is projected to double by 2024, so the conversation will continue.

Day 44: The Amazon Basics Vehicle Configuration Package

Step 1: Amazon sells vehicles from global OEMs on amazon.com

Step 2: Amazon enhances their line of vehicle accessories beyond in-vehicle Alexa speakers to racks, pumps, roof-top tents, etc.

Sep 3: Configure and purchase your Amazon basics (name TBD) vehicle and we will ship it to a dealer of your choice close-by

What is the interface of the Amazon Basics vehicle going to look and feel like? “Alexa, add those adjustable seats, those wheels and tires, that cooler, those lights, that shifter, that speaker system, that 14” Android Auto screen and those digital gauges all from the Amazon Basics Car Elements to my in-box. Also add micro-USB, USB-C, Lightning and HDMI accommodation.” “What is the price difference between a 450 and a 650-mile LGP battery configuration?”

Frequently bought together: The Amazon’s Basics Cooler along with the Universal Cross Rail Roof Rack. “Great, add the rack to my cart along with the Amazon Basics Portable HUD.”

Day 45: The Naming & Organizing of Information

Since new, abstract technology is considered by most OEMs to be a point of competitive differentiation, companies ought to be continuously researching consumer’s perception of the features that they create to bring that new tech to market. These features are given names, associated with icons, grouped with other features, placed within a “category”, referred to in instructions, marketing materials and more.

If your company is going to keep adding features and describing them as Active, Adaptive, Dynamic, Smart and Intelligent, then you owe it to consumers to pre-emptively study their perception, interpretations, associations, comparisons - and then reflect that understanding in your design. Then validate that your implementation is clearly understood and is easy to use.

This little bit of effort and spend goes a long way towards lessening consumer frustration and increasing satisfaction.

Day 46: Be Different, Be Distinct, Be Memorable

My hope is that conspicuous wit, fun, playfulness, sarcasm, whimsy and more or less functional uniqueness will more often find their place in the products that we are most emotionally connected to, our vehicles. Subtle elements and moments of distinction set your brand apart physically and emotionally.

Day 47: The AUTO Guessing Game

Let’s guess what the AUTO buttons do. AUTO Temp to the Drivers feet, AUTO Temp to the Passengers feet and chest, AUTO Air Circulation (?), AUTO Total Cabin HVAC (?), AUTO Air Flow (?).

Wait, where is the Rear Defrost – in the REAR tab? Is the Side Mirrors + Rear Defrost combo button effective? And what will I find in the OPTION tab? Of the six words on the Rear Climate control panel, four of them are AUTO.

Consistent confusion for at least 6 years now. Yours for only $80K in MY22.

Day 48: Logical Grouping Versus Lines (of controls)

Every global OEM has a handful of Designers whose job it is to define the position of buttons both on components (like HVAC or window controls) and throughout the vehicle interior. Often, 3-4 teams from groups like Design, HMI, feature or program strategy each have an opinion of what that button orientation should look like. Much debate and negotiation take place at both the component and whole vehicle interior levels. As a result (and as best I can tell), the buttons are usually either grouped together in a small “zone” or orientated in a line. And occasionally a button just "floats" to its own spot.

Straight lines or rows of buttons are clean, maybe modern and maybe nicer in appearance; however, the logic of functional relationships, proximity and activity-based orientation are diminished. When related buttons are grouped together in a specific location, they are easier to find, to recall and to use. That said, the final solutions of this function and control distribution and organization says a lot about a company – things like the influence of its different disciplines, its perception of a vehicle segment, its ties to historical references, its decision-making process and more.

Day 49: The Short-cut (or) Quick Access Buttons

The idea is that if you need to park (or) see what is around your vehicle (or) adjust the cabin conditions (or) vehicle behavior, then there is one button that you can push to reveal a collection of associated functionality and content on a single screen. As mentioned, organizing related content into a zone or single screen is a useful aid for drivers.

This feels like yet another step in the evolution towards organizing and supporting driver activities, and personal goals and moods through vehicle capability and interaction. Prioritizing what matters (and gets used) with ease and efficiency - and doing away with so many secondary and optional features and functions.

Day 50: Just AUTO Headlights, Please

There was a time when headlights were either On or Off. And now we seem to have gone full circle (through 10-ish feature variations) back to that. I applaud the button reduction and state clarity has been done best by Audi & VW, but especially with a default to Auto when the vehicle is moving.

You’ll read on forums trying to explain the solution that, “Moving from manual to automatic to parking to auto adjusting has confused people. Now people can’t be trusted to put the right headlight setting on.” Just like any complex, unclear, uncertain over-engineered solution, I don’t think that it is the people’s fault.

Day 51: The Next Popular Gesture

Is this the most widely recognize and used gesture in the automobile industry? Now it is time to find a gestural movement vocabulary equally useful in the interior. Attributes like supporting tasks and context, accommodating an extended self, and providing an alternative way to change state (all done together) seem to lead to greater adoption. I am looking forward to the same level of accommodation for activating side doors, hatches, hoods, charging covers, stowage covers and never spilling my coffee.

Day 52: The Value of Peace-of-mind

The Rivian Gear Guard security system intelligently protects your stuff while you are on the move. It is designed for the scenario of leaving your truck and stuff alone and knowing that it is secure while you go do something away from the vehicle. A means for securing and protecting your gear is probably more important to truck owners than other features like park assist or having speakers in your tailgate.

Motion sensors trigger (5) of the surrounding proximity cameras and record movement. Like Tesla’s Dog Mode, the screen is used to communicate to those around the vehicle the status (what is happening), and in this case that the system is aware and monitoring. Contractors might buy this vehicle because of this feature set alone. Next steps, add recognition through hoodies, connected gear & tool tracking stickers, and launch paint bombs at those with bad intentions.

Day 53: Simplicity as Sophistication

At a glance, I count 22 steering wheel buttons (including 4 on the back) and 65 different first surface choices on the center screen(s). That’s 87 selectable choices while driving the 2023 Maserati Grecale. Personally, my favorite interface element is the round display which serves as a customizable single gauge (w/ clock looks, G-meter and more). Does it matter that such different philosophies of function are side-by-side?

Hopefully that center screen has a screen saver or a Quiet or Calm mode. “The more complex the infotainment systems get, the less people understand them,“ says Cliff Kuang, a UX Designer and author of the book User Friendly. Or said another way by an Italian master, “Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.”

Prediction: No more than 20 of those buttons will be pressed with any regularity by a typical owner over the life of the vehicle.

Day 54: The Segment of One in Infotainment

Off-road vehicles have “blank” or auxiliary switches that exist to wire and control a handful of accessories that you might want to attach to your vehicle. And often some of the gauges are programmable and customizable. They are a means for you to enable additional functionality for your vehicle and arrange content how you would like it.

Some infotainment systems provide drag & drop functional ordering and others let you choose widget functions and orientation. We can program our own (sometime) universal presets or set-up a short-cut. We can download and install a few applications.

Should we keep adding more and more opportunities of optionality and customization or should some wholly different model be applied? Maybe your vehicle should get you from A to B safely and efficiently and most of this other non-driving stuff ought to be optional? Buy the platform that is connected to the systems and shape and mold them as your lifestyle, needs, habits, business, life interests and goals evolve.

Day 55: The High Cost of Low User Satisfaction with Sensors

The high cost of sensors is increasing purchase prices and repair costs. When attached to the vehicle exterior, they are used to warn us, to guide us, to show us things we might not see, and to know when to intervene. And when installed in the interior, they are used to watch us, to monitor us, to judge us, to remind us, to alert and warn us. And in the near future, they will be the backbone of serving and driving us.

However, we have a long way to go in optimizing their accurate and trusted performance - as at least 1 in 4 drivers admits to disabling a sensor-driven safety feature during every trip. The information-centric design approach focused on speed and efficiency is not yielding great human interaction results.

Perhaps a concentrated human-centered approach towards the design, engineering and measurement of experiences enabled by sensors and supporting software will produce better results? This might be the future of automotive HMI.

Day 56: The 2nd Surface of (sometimes) Useful Features

There exists what one might call the 2nd surface of primary functions – those that you probably won’t discover yourself as they are hidden and/or are triggered by altogether not intuitive control interactions. You either have the joy of knowing about these treasures behind your buttons and surfaces (or) the sorrow of discovering that cool, useful feature 3 or 5 years into the ownership of your vehicle. Try double-tapping a button or pushing and holding to see what might happen.

And in a few cases, these features are more interesting than the ones that you know about <grin>. Things like (examples taken from a cross-section of vehicles) …

• Push and hold the unlock button on many key fobs to open all of the windows and maybe even the sunroof simultaneously

• If you live in a cold region and want to raise your idle level, then set the cruise control while in Park

• Some small cars can physically orient the seats into a “lounge & tall” configuration

• Double tap the temperature slider on the screen to turn on and cycle through the heated seat settings

• Most vehicles have a hidden storage area behind a component or along a side wall for hiding valuables

• You can buy a shower accessory that attached to the open back hatch for a few SUVs

• The floors in the back of some SUVs can pop-out and then you can extend the folded legs and use it as a table

• Some flip-down cup holders have a tray that extends to hold your burger or burrito

Day 57: The Long Road to Significant Feature Upgrade Revenue

The road to significant vehicle service & feature-based revenue generation through purchases, upgrades and subscriptions is a long one. Consumer research today looks and feels like this …

“I will not pay for Safety features, but I will pay for a performance boost. I will not pay for automated assistance, but I will pay for additional comfort features. I will not pay for mood lighting, but I will pay for extra security. And if I do not even understand what the feature is, then do not ask me to pay extra for it.” And “why do you want me to pay a high purchase price now so that I can pay more later to access the capabilities that I already have? The software can’t be that expensive.”

And inside the cockpit, some vehicles support limited Over-the-air (OTA) updates for software only driven features like infotainment and navigation while far fewer support updates to sensors, the components and other vehicle systems via the cloud. Some popular brands require that you go to the dealership to get the update so that they can ensure that the physical buttons are also working accordingly after the update. That said, these are the early days of customizing functions and interactions over the lifetime of your vehicle and the human-machine interaction will have to evolve with it.

Day 58: The Minimal Fit-for-purpose Cockpit Configuration

Is there something happening here or do I just wish it were so?  The dirt racer’s cockpit goes mainstream (with luxury). The attributes are of a rugged, durable, reductionist yet accommodating interior are the result of minimal, easy-to-use components (including seats, stalks, handles, controls, missing surfaces and more). A purpose-driven cockpit configuration.

The exteriors are shaped from simple, elegant and often familiar body styles (with more clean surfaces than creases) into highly capable multi-purpose vehicles. The consistent interior & exterior, physical & digital design language is that of unstoppable travel (on-road or off-road) anywhere, anytime in comfort and with attitude. Let’s hope that a few of these make it off the production line with an attainable price.

Day 59: The Economic Value of Feature Purchase & Upgrade

Step One is to develop a platform that supports robust over-the-air (OTA) delivery capabilities. This is the foundation of a new consumer and OEM mindset of initial investment, feature value and lifetime ownership.

Step Two is then to explain and demonstrate to consumers the clear economic value that they are receiving at purchase and over time by paying to upgrade vehicle features and services. Owners keep the vehicle fresh and contemporary while OEMs save on the cost of recalls, claims and warranties and offer continuous value to customers. Consumers then have the ability to add (and maybe subtract) as their personal and professional needs evolve.

The “all in / check the box / I always maintain the latest and greatest” consumer adds this expense to their already large list of monthly service payments. However, the even partially discretionary mass shopper is not so quick to pay. A new multi-channel consumer value and access dialogue is required, especially in and around the vehicle.

Day 60: Concluding Thoughts & What’s Next

I believe that the best Human-machine Interface (HMI) systems result from the intentional design of all human touch-points and interactions with the vehicle, whether physical or digital, inside, outside or around the vehicle. The future though is about “human thought-points” (for lack of a better term) as intelligent sensors, software and systems are ushering in what I call the “Universal Auto”.

As processing power increases and gets distributed, our need, frequency and expectation of manual interaction is going away. “I just put it on Auto” has been the desired behavior and hope for so many and yet the majority of OEMs still try to satisfy too many edge-case, not to mention offer two, three or four ways to do the same thing. Designing and delivering intelligent systems that feel natural, fluid and assistive is the future of HMI.

A popular expectation amongst a tech-savvy young audience is that a product of this complexity and expense ought to recognize me, work with me and evolve over time. Designers ought to spend less time on the right button feel and pixel treatment, and more time on systems that compliment and assist, that heighten the senses, that physically sooth, provide mental comfort and grow in value. The company that is led by human insights and greater purpose to co-curate this intelligent man-machine dialogue will provide the most satisfying journey and will lead in the future of mobility.

Bonus: How Many AUTOs until We Automate?

Can we assume that (7) instances of “AUTO” and the presence of a “CLIMATE CONCERGE” in the ’22 Lexus LX are foreshadowing the very near adoption of a fully automated system of sensing and modulating cabin temp, air flow, glass, seats and more?

And who gets to decide which letter gets dropped from “CONCIERGE”?

2023

This is a collection of 2023 HMI provocations, ideas, and observations for the future of vehicle interaction continuing this tradition of posting 1 provocative idea for next 30 days. And if you have a related topic that begs discussion, then feel free to include it in a comment or via LinkedIn.

The opinions provided in these posts are strictly mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of my employer

Day 61: The Unexpected

I often get to sit with folks in their vehicles and have them explain to me what their vehicle can do and how they make it happen. Sometimes we are sitting in a driveway or on the street and sometimes they are driving.

In every single one of those sessions (maybe numbering a few hundred by now), each individual has done something or said something that was unexpected or unique. In most cases, it is a confident guess or a misinterpretation of meaning of function. These unexpected and unique thoughts and actions reflect how each consumer perceives how their vehicle works. It is their unfiltered interpretation of meaning that they create from the design signals provided – via shapes, words, sounds, colors, feel, relationships, surfaces, and more.  

Said another way, we are not them, and what we intend is never wholly aligned with what they perceive. Learn from these conversations, recognize the patterns, and build systems that can be continuously improved.

Day 62: Memory & Profile Recall

Modern vehicles have multiple ways to personalize your car. From physical adjustments (like seats and mirrors) to digital programming (like radio presets and Homescreen widgets). Sometimes these preferences are triggered and authenticated by a facial scan or camera image, sometimes by smartphone authentication, a PIN #, or something else.

Some of this personalization is recalled by a memory button on the door, or your App, or your Fob, or maybe a key card. OEMs perceive these programmed and recalled modes as added value of convenience to consumers, but the reality is that many consumers are confused. It doesn't matter if these settings are stored in the vehicle, in an App, in the cloud, or somewhere else, they just need to make sense. And as more “personalized” features are added and more choice is provided, consumers get more confused. 

Day 63: Antiquated Tech

Many architects and interior designers have stopped accommodating LCDs, large displays, and TVs into the design of walls for both interiors and exteriors because they are “a source of antiquated tech.” Will the same thing happen with oversized displays and pillar-to-pillar configurations? A short amount of time will tell.

Competing on screen size lacks creativity and innovation and could sometime soon reflect antiquated tech – especially as all of those passenger facing screens see no use at all.

Day 64: Tight Integration

No doubt many of us are striving to integrate our phone with our house (or) our house with our car. Between diverse network protocols, 3rd party apps, over-the-air updates, diverse functionality, sketching connections, and an array of physical gadgets, achieving a seamless and reliable integration between phone and/or car and/or house can be difficult.

Should auto manufacturers make smartphones and connected house solutions? Should phone manufactures make homes and cars? Some of the combos are taking shape as Neo starts to manufacture smart phones. Google makes a smartphone and a vehicle OS. Sony makes phones and products for the home, and soon a car with Honda. Amazon once tried to make phones and Alexa is enabled or accessible everywhere including in cars. Is a projected interface (agnostic of connection type) the ultimate connection? Is supporting a Developer Community and an App Store the best platform?

If this becomes more serious play, then my money is on Samsung as they make a push in the vehicle compute and connected spaces, (speculatively) re-enter the manufacturing space with EVs, and then deeply enable integration of vehicles with their smart home solutions and smartphones.

Day 65: #SECRETCOMPARTMENT

Do we now need a hashtag to understand the intended function of spaces? Is this the new instruction system for digital natives? Am I supposed to photograph what I put in here and post it on Instagram? I checked and nobody is doing it. I am confused.

No doubt, awkward and misplaced hashtags on vehicle screens are right around the corner. Perhaps in the upcoming Hashtag line of vehicles by Smart. #SILLYMARKETING

Day 66: Mobile First Vehicle Functions

It is official. Because of so much functionality (and optionality) being crammed into the center screen, it is sometimes easier, more convenient, and efficient to access functionality and vehicle information via mobile apps. For instance, 5+ clicks in the center screen to see Tire Pressure (that is if you remember the sequence and path of categories) versus 1 click on the mobile app.

Should OEM teams be more aggressive considering, identifying, and defining which vehicle functions should be designed for mobile access and interaction first - and in-vehicle center screen access second (or never)? It seems like we are approaching the day when most Settings are removed from within the vehicle.

Day 67: Dominant Digital Cluster

Is it time (based on technology and interaction evolutions) for the digital cluster / meter to be larger than the center screen? Should the sensibilities of performance vehicle brands be setting the cockpit configuration tones? Perhaps this asymmetric treatment should have been the display component direction all of the time?

The excuse that all passengers want and need to see the big center display is weak. And the anxiousness felt by passengers sitting in front of a blank display is real. And regarding other human effects - “these screens overburden users with visual information, which discourages them from looking outside. They thereby lose their ability to take in the ‘correct’ visual signals … losing their position in space and therefore inducing sickness” (as stated by the Economic Times in May, ’23 – referring to the 25-30% of the population that regularly suffers from motion sickness).

I am not anti-screen, just for some more applied science to the size, location, orientation, adjustment, content, and function distribution of screens in popular vehicle segments.

Day 68: My Holographic Personal Assistant

What is the appropriate location and movement range of your holographic personal assistant? On top of the steering wheel, walking along the dash, sitting in the passenger seat, hanging from the rearview mirror, hiding in the glove box … or somewhere else?

Day 69: Feature Reduction

Feature Reduction: Chip shortages and supply chain issues sparked reductions in sensors, antennas, controllers, and more which have affected available functions. I have to also believe that the decisions of what got "pauses" and removed took into consideration real world consumer usage data and/or perceived values. Wireless charging, HD Radio, Embedded Nav, Parking Assist, and lumbar passenger seat adjustment may all have limited use in certain vehicle segments.

Most interesting to me was the precedence set by the OEM responses with consumers (intentionally or unintentionally). One OEM fixed the features within the year, another OEM reimbursed their customers for missing features, and a third said “get over it, you weren’t using the features anyway.” (Tesla, mostly in regards to passenger lumbar support).

The OEM fixes, updates, replacements, and other commitments afforded by future software defined vehicles will strategically shift the customer’s mindset of using, owning, and interacting with a vehicle. OEM brand perception and relationships will also evolve. Planning and orchestrating these consumer mindset shifts is as important as developing these new platforms and OTA roadmaps. 

Day 70: 2-Way Connected Services Value Exchange 

Imagine if after your first year of ownership, the features that you don’t use were “flashed off” of your vehicle. And then a few days later, you received a reimbursement check in the mail. Perhaps owners would then be more inclined to consider purchasing new, additional features – for the long and short-term. Nothing changes your mindset and perception (of a brand, product, service, event, etc.) more than an equitable dialogue and money in your pocket.

Perhaps instead of abruptly ending the connected service trial (of remote control, connected nav, conversational voice, WIFI, etc.) and demanding a financial commitment to reinstate those features, other models of value exchange were established?

Day 71: Sketchy Connected Performance

The more products and services become wholly dependent on a “strong (connectivity) signal” for operation, then the sketchier and more broken they seem. Streaming services lag, apps need to refresh with each update, and over the decades we have all grown accustomed to “waiting” … and then waiting again. Now operate these products and services as a rolling platform (aka, the modern connected car) on hills, in cities, in storms, and they seem to be even less stable than other connected devices. Of course there is a magnitude of complexity, but so what?

Should OEMs and their suppliers be more integrated with common stable networks like a connected phone or frequently encountered WIFI? Will satellite-based internet be the answer? Will it cost more for more bandwidth, performance, and greater reliability of my connected vehicle? Will network analytics provide patterns that OEMs can use to constantly improve the connected experience?

Day 72: Complexity Compounded

Tesla undoubtedly leads in the sophistication, reliability, and innovation in regards to the capabilities of software-defined features. They are also modeling, iterating, resolving, and defining a benchmark for the ownership lifecycle of dynamic connected vehicles.

On any given day on multiple Tesla owner forums, you can see the subtlety and complexity of connected consumer confusion. And these are not the issues of traditional vehicles. On this particular day, it included issues of unexplainable power drain, vehicle damage from remote summoning, challenges with accessing the vehicle, unexpected feature delivery / installation, and more.

These are the details of future complex connected and software defined vehicle owner journeys. Study, anticipate, and design clever and accommodating solutions.

Day 73: See Through

If you are going to do anything with your giant screen and numerous cameras, do this. Pushing a proportional street or surround view through your digital displays has a visceral, expanding effect. Some of us got excited about the optical camouflage demo by Toyota in 2012 and then Land Rover’s transparent hood (er, bonnet).

Maybe the sensor and camera laden MY25 vehicles can offer Transparent Mode, which seems particularly useful in certain contexts. More than just another camera view added to the existing seven. Designed to be beneficial and reassuring versus distracting.

Could be particularly useful for delivery vehicles whose drivers make frequent stops and dart in and out of their vehicles. Where else?

Day 74: Reflective Controls

The lure of interior wrap-around lights, decorative surfaces, angles, patterns, and contrasting geometries of visual interest is strong in contemporary luxury vehicles, like the 2023 BMW 760. But at what functional and usability cost to everyday control operations?

As Motor Trend put it, “Various cut-glass controls glimmer in the sunlight.” Reflective surface and operational testing with sunlight, headlights, and other lighting sources is common in the automotive design and development process. These vehicles must have had a luxury exemption pass.

Day 75: Floating Controls

Interior shapes and surfaces are changing as a result of connect-by-wire technologies that can be engaged electronically, eliminating the need for mechanical connections between components. The Nissan 20-23 Concept with its see-through IP and “floating” controls is a progressive example. Buttons and controls are floating, existing in new and unique relationships with equally dynamic surfaces. Gone are faceplates, housings, control boxes, cable paths, and built-in, fixed stowage.

Not so visible is an embedded software layer that controls various system computers, controllers, and modules. Unique shapes, control types, orientations, and functional groupings may shift with context. This will lead to new and unique distributed interactions, brand gestures, commands, pattern languages, and multi-sensory experiences.

Day 76: Optimal Connected Data Display

Is there an optimal display where connected real-time info ought to be displayed and attended to? One particular display where traffic warnings, current speed limits, social updates, weather alerts, and more ought to appear? These connected data types may change more frequently than other pieces of information and may do so without driver / passenger interaction.

Does this dynamically updating info warrant some new content and function distribution behaviors and dependencies? Maybe not so driven by the tech but by the nature of relevance, focus, and attention.

Day 77: Best Control / Component Direction of 2023

It has a small screen, ergonomically positioned for optimal ergonomic reach, a single primary physical control + glass edges and a few secondary buttons that ease hand positioning and orientation. Like some sort of new musical instrument.

Combines physical and digital interaction and is reminiscent of historical center controllers. It assumes contextual controls and ease-of-use – while driving manually and automated riding. It must be my favorite component “in recent years” as it was part of the 2018 Peugeot e-Legend concept interior.

Side note: Best vehicle remote control (fun) feature (IMO) – “Remote Rev” on the 2024 Mustang. Go Detroit (and Paris)!

Day 78: Wo Missed the Memo?

Digital experience design is setting new standards for meaning and effect via skillfully orchestrated functional flows, cinematic effects, instructions, and the overall interactive dialogue. However, a few global OEMs have not yet gotten the memo. For instance, this 2024 Mitsubishi L200 Triton truck feels as if it is living in the digital past and is falling short on a substantial value proposition in the competitive truck market.

Every customer interaction, screen, prompt, transition, and system response contributes to brand perception. In modern trucks, the combination of physical and digital design is a reflection of your customer’s aspirations and what your company wants to be known for. Strive for a balance and cohesiveness of design languages towards emotional response. This includes interior, exterior, CMF, user interface, audio, feedback, motion, and more. The stakes are high and bar is raised, so higher the talent and make the investment.

Maybe I am overstating the importance of digital experiences in all-purpose trucks and it really won’t be a big deal to buyers in 2024. Sure.

Day 79: Stationary Experiences & Relevant Connections

Most vehicles owned by consumers are parked or stationary for the majority of their lifecycle. Most estimates are that on average, 90% of their existence is spent not moving. The interoperability of software-defined electric vehicles (SDVs) results in connected platforms that enable new experiences and service. These experiences will emerge from the vehicles being connected to the internet, the cloud, each other, their surroundings, and other infrastructures and systems.

For instance, what more might be done with the space in the vehicle (e.g., storage or rest), or the power that it stores on-board? Could it be generating more power while standing still, or providing lighting and safety warnings to pedestrians, or measuring air quality, or reacting to objects and movement in the space around it?

The appeal of today’s ICE vehicles is mostly from the driving experience which is largely determined by what is built-in or contained within the production build. SDVs will be at work as both a stationary and moving object. And the human-vehicle interaction dynamic will evolve as they upgrade, optimize, learn, get more personal, and connect – with communities, a platoon of vehicles, a fleet, a job site, and much more.

Day 80: The Value of Flexibility in the SDV

The controls and interactions in the majority of modern vehicles have reached a level of parity and standardization in regards to usability and usefulness. Driving, navigating, listening to music / media, controlling cabin temperature, and taking phone call can be done by most with relative ease in a safe manner.

In the future of widespread software-defined vehicles (SDVs), value will be found in flexibility – to remove, add, and modify what you and your car can do. This may affect the mainstream features just mentioned as well as others, like parking features, look & feel choices, voice assistant moods, control assignments, and more. OEMs will find that the historic difficulty of supporting vehicle diversity is now the cost of entry.

Consumer expectations will continue to increase regarding accommodations of choice, personalization, modularity, and continuous improvement. And these may be amongst the primary drivers of loyalty for the future’s most successful vehicle and mobility brands.

Day 81: The Real-time Transparency of SDV Systems

Energy monitoring screens of hybrid and electric vehicles have introduced us to the real-time dynamics of the cause and effects of power distribution due our usage. Some drivers pay attention to these effects, experiment, learn, and maybe even change their behaviors.

Soon, our mental model of vehicle status and service will also evolve, as real-time views of vehicle (system & component) health become readily available. Many of today’s service milestones of seasons and distance travelled will remain relevant but the impact of everyday usage to more of the vehicle systems will be available (if you so choose).

For fleets this will be vital but for consumers - will a deeper knowledge of part wear and fatigue and # of system updates change our patterns of usage? Do I sleep better the night before the road trip if all systems are “check”? Do I feel better about the expense of my maintenance and repair with visible reassurances? “(Update) Front & rear brakes: 99.8% life remaining.”

Day 82: Lost in Translation

I appreciate that vehicle interactive dialogues are designed in native tongues and are then often translated into other languages like English. Per the additional of sensors, automation, charging, connectivity, and more, new functional flows are being introduced. Quite often these flows, conditions, and feedback are complex in their native language, so then the translation doesn’t stand a chance.

For years, it has felt like too little time is being spent on information structure and communication in vehicles – including nomenclature, instructions, labels, icons, feedback, and the like. For instance, shouldn’t category names imply what is contained within them (and not have to list sub-topics below the title)?

Today these may be a reflection of organizational consensus while the next wave may be heavily informed by intelligent translation engines and models. For the foreseeable future though, it appears that Owner forums will continue to be the best sense makers.

Day 83: Take a Break

I am not sure that anything beats the everyday convenience and functional usage of a short fold-down rear door – now with aux power, WIFI, a 22-way sound system, and a built-in cooler, or work surface, or cushions. Perfect for a picnic, a nap, a concert, a grocery run, a sunset, whatever. It takes a lot of strategic planning and an empathic organizational mindset to combine high-tech and high-touch to encourage connections – to each other, to food, to the planet, to yourself.

Day 84: The Next Modes

Future Software-defined vehicles will be part of a few systems – including urban / rural infrastructures, home / work services and networks, personal / family clouds, regional / national charging infrastructures, and more - all working together via simple interfaces in support of drivers and occupants. These will be cross-carline portfolio roadmap elements that define both brand differentiation and customer loyalty. Maybe initially selected by driver, interpreted by the systems, then confirmed by occupants, but over time, most likely delivered via the intelligent adaption and modulation of vehicle systems. Perhaps will see another generation of contextual modes before they all go away?

Step 1: Ensure that your enterprise nomenclature is defined for terms like - Experiences, Moments, Modes, Features, Functions, Enablers, and the like, and that they are understood and embraced. They do not need to be perfect, then just need to be intentional, useful, and understood.

Future candidate Modes: Curate My Ride Mode, Augmented Reality Mode, Solar Mode, Energy Sharing Mode, Safe & Secure Mode, Night Assist Mode, Platoon Mode, New Driver Mode, Teach Me Mode, Beach Day Mode, Movie Night Mode, Spaceballs Mode, Use The Force Mode.

Day 85: From Shortcuts to Intelligence

My future vehicle and mobility experiences will shift based on the time of day, my next appointment, the phone call I just received, our vacation agenda, the movie that I just looked up – all interpreted and served-up via a big collection of algorithms, models, weights, scores, and probabilities.  

Some of today’s signals: 1) Physical “Hot keys” and/or “Short-cut keys” that enable activity-based interaction in various domains, like ADAS, Parking, Cameras, Lighting, and Drive Modes, 2) The hidden gestures and shortcuts that continue to proliferate, especially in software-defined electric vehicles, due to the tech maturity and lower cost of putting sensors on interior and exterior vehicle surfaces and screens, 3) The in-between stage of semi-intelligent suggestions like those of Lincoln’s Considerate Prompts.

Perhaps in the future of software-driven vehicles, each new trip is made better by a new ritual (?). Every time I get in the car, I articulate a verbal descriptive statement. It might be 2 words or 32 words, a command, or a question, or a statement. Each word increases the accuracy and precision of the suggestions and assistance of the vehicle systems.

Think of them as explicit vs. interpreted personal prompts or contextual cues - like "find the kids" or “how much time is left in the soccer game” or “to the gym” or “recommend a lunch stop on the way to my next meeting”. The value is found in the ritual of an intent-based voice dialogue that drives your intelligent vehicle. 

Day 86: Setting Off = Design Failure

If we provide an Off selection to a Drive Setting, then is it a reflection of a failed design or execution? Should consumers be able to turn Off a feature – especially one that is safety related?

This implies that the sensor is too loud, alerts come at the wrong time or too frequently, the vehicle adjustment is too abrupt, the lighting is too bright, the frequency of pop-ups is annoying, and on-and-on. It conveys a mindset that Designer and Engineers cannot produce the ultimate appropriate response or feedback. Or that maybe the Planners got it wrong and the feature should not have ever existed.

Will drivers soon unwittingly turn-off connected features that they are actually playing for? Will we be modulating the level of intelligence displayed? Perhaps the potential cure to our automotive Culture of Optionality (offering too many options), will be the addition of the “let the vehicle decide” option?

Day 87: Shifting Sources & Expanding Interfaces

The distribution of “Built-in vs. Brought-in vs. Beamed-In” stuff in your vehicle continues to get more complex. This complexity is felt if you listen to diverse types of media, like music, podcasts, audio books, and video content via multiple sources and services. Access is achievable, but each word or lyric now comes with layers of cost, contracts, commitments, profile management, expirations, upgrades, ads, and more.

And now we may see another wave of Ai gizmos and accessories, just as we have for GPS and voice. And these will come with various connection types, interfaces, payments, and more. Not to mention, do I where it on my head, pin it to me, mount it on my dash, sync it to my sun glasses, clip it to the visor, put it in the cup holder?

Will big tech, the future owners of a common vehicle OS, force consolidation, reduction, standardization and simplification? Let’s hope. Regarding those sources, my money is on the smartest and most personal music / media curation service winning. “Ron, play the best remakes of the Beatle’s song ‘Yesterday’ on my way home.”

Day 88: This Culture of Optionality

Most of today’s vehicles are overwrought with “optionality”. The reasoning seems to be, if we can give the user the option to decide, then why don’t we? And if we can give them incremental choices, then let’s do that as well. In the near future, opinion-based decision making will be folklore. Historically, some of these choices were based on increments of time.

They were set-it and forget it selections. How long after I leave the car should it lock? How long should my lights stay-on after I turn-off the vehicle? When I remote start my vehicle, how long should it run before turning-off? Now, with the added flexibility and convenience of a software-defined electric vehicles, this culture of optionality seems to be landing on my daily calendar and affecting “my time” (which is also my most cherished commodity). When to charge and for how long? When to remote start (power-up) and condition the interior? When to download and update and refresh? When to send data? When to initiate or end a connected service subscription? Got to make a charger reservation, get there, and then track the efficiency and duration. “When did I start spending more time programing my car than driving it?”

This week, Mercedes-Benz stated that “EV charging is what happens when you work, shop, live and play. Charging fades into the background.” My hope is that this next great evolution of human-machine dialogue towards trusted intelligent systems, makes everything but the act of driving and the journey fade into the background as well.

Day 89: The Sustainability of Vehicle Function & Systems

The Sustainability of Vehicle Functions & Systems: The software-defined vehicle enables a shift from a mindset of the linear economy of eroding value to a circular economy that preserves (and maybe increases) value. Engage in a design and development process that considers repair, refurbishing, reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling throughout.

Designing vehicles that are fit for circularity includes designing for modularity, flexible functionality, disassembly and reduction, and standardization for other uses. Also support alternative business models based on services and various channels to maximize vehicle utilization - via sharing, leasing, renting, subscribing, and more. Design systems to support transitions to other uses via refurbishing, reselling, and remarketing.

Enable vehicles with features that promote energy savings and usage efficiencies like Auto Start/Stop, Regenerative Braking, optimal battery charging instructions, Intelligent Eco-coaching, flexible control assignment, remote monitoring, energy sharing, real-time road & traffic adjustments, smart-city connections, transparent system status, and the like. Prioritize the domain of sustainability above others and enable tangible progress and value via a closed-loop sustainability experience index based on a measurement platform of auditing, tracking, analysis, reporting, and optimization.

Design each vehicle with an associated end-to-end lifetime ledger (or digital title) that records and monitors circular attributes including usage, updates, modifications, enhancements, ownership, exposure, maintenance, and the like. 

Day 90: Intelligent Systems Promise Complexity Reduction

[For consumers] When a vehicle feature that you have never used is removed, will you even notice? How much did those features that you never needed or used cost? What will be the value of a persistent, reliable digital profile that keeps you feeling safe, confident, and at home in any vehicle? How much customer loyalty and/or brand value will you bestow if all features evolve to operate the way that you want them to?

[For OEMS] Is the cost of managing functional complexity greater than incremental gross profit per vehicle, per feature, per function? How much could an OEM save by lessening their R&D and production costs for features that nobody uses? What degree of uncertainty of consumer need and flexibility of design will each OEM embrace?

Via the (artificial) intelligent system analysis of multiple data sets - like channels, financial, trends, market, societal, and driving data - the features that customer’s value will become apparent. So too will the cost of developing those features that customers do not find valuable. Continuously growing a collection of models will help your team more accurately anticipate and validate the needs and behaviors of future vehicle owners, communities, and cultures – which will then better inform roadmaps and the design of next-gen systems accordingly. Today, we are in that early awkward stage where businesses are experimenting with intelligent systems to see how they “might” impact their future strategic planning process.

Over time though, the application of intelligent systems to both OEM planning, design, and production, as well as everyday consumer usage and ownership will evolve each vehicle to be more simple, clearer, and perfect for you. And at the same time, probably better for business.

Bonus: Signals for the Future of Driving

If you are planning and/or designing the next-gen of software-driven, intelligent automotive cockpit experience, then it would be wise to track and translate how Google is constantly improving Android on smartphones (now version 14). Safe to say that in many ways, this nearly 20-year OS evolution will mirror much of what is coming to the next software-driven driving experience.

For instance, what happens when the best camera or connectivity signal in the vehicle is your Android phone (or) Google takes over in-vehicle sensors and cameras? Who is going to control the dynamic, contextually-driven mode-shifting of all messaging, feedback, and prompting? How do universal battery saving & optimizing models and lessons learned from devices translate to EVs (both functionally & in the consumer’s mind)? Which vehicle OS is going to optimize the storage, performance, and maintenance of the apps in your vehicle? And if you lend your car to a French-only speaker that is visiting for a week, what happens to the profile and interface? Which vehicle OS is going to aggregate, integrate, and optimize the existing data from your health & wellness devices while driving?