The Problem
Visteon, a leading supplier of electronics in the automotive industry, and CGSociety are challenging the world’s digital artists to design the future of the in-vehicle user experience. We are looking for something that will revolutionize the way we interact with the vehicles that we drive. Visteon is dedicated to being a market leader, and wants to create the best solutions for its customers. To achieve this goal, Visteon continually strives to not only work with the newest and best technology, but to apply this technology in novel ways that address the needs of consumers. This is my chance to work with an industry leader to imagine, innovate, and help create the future experiences that drivers will enjoy.
My Role
The Oxford Dictionary defines communication as the means of exchanging or transferring information. Once communication was considered the main concern of social psychologists in regards to human interactions, but today communication has rose well above what it used to be. With the great growth and development in technology, communication is no longer limited to human to human interactions, but it’s the means of exchanging information between devices and their human users. Today, scientists keep developing new ways of human- device interactions, such as the touchscreen, hand gesturing, voice command, eye detection, etc. When it comes to device usability these ways of communication are crucial factors as they can promote the user's willingness to benefit from the devices’ different functions; at the same time the inaccuracy and the complexity of some of these ideations can exhaust the user pushing him away from the device itself. Consequently, we, as UX/UI designers, are responsible for designing an interface that is not only appealing but is functional, easy to understand and provides the user with a pleasant experience that will increase the likelihood of them using the product over and over again. In other words, we are responsible for setting the base for a long term user-device relationship.
Empathize
In today’s developed societies, people are spending more time in their vehicles, traveling from one location to another; as a result, car manufacturers are focusing more on the consumers’ experience throughout the drive. Moreover, with the fast development in everyday devices, such as smart phones, smart TVs, smart computers, etc. the need for smart cars is almost inevitable. Consequently, I present to you the future of our driving experience:
For starters, the design overall, is based on the available and the upcoming technologies; therefore, it does not require a significant amount of time to be developed. In other words, with a few modifications, this device would be ready to hit the market in 2017. Furthermore, the device is designed to be as cost and energy efficient as possible, especially that the consumers today are becoming more aware of their environment and their impact on the climate change.
The Dashboard
The dashboard’s black color and the use of chrome lines, creates a simple, yet sophisticated look and it directs the user’s attention to the available screens. The dashboard consists of three different screens, the main screen connected to a small LED screen, the helper and the gauge. The gauge, the main screen and the LED screen are covered with a glass surface, which connects the three creating the illusion of a one piece - large screen.
Colors
The studies on colors and human behaviors have associated the color blue with communication, intelligence, trust and efficiency; consequently, the overall use of blue light to display all the app icons, main menus and buttons creates a comfortable and productive environment for the consumers. Despite the fact that the main menu is displayed in blue color only, it is a full-color screen. In other words, once the user accesses the desired application, he would be able to see the images, videos, etc. in full color option.
Technology
The hand gesturing system detects the users’ hand motion allowing him to easily move from one application to another and from one screen to another. Furthermore, the device detects the hand motions on an X axis only or Y axis only basis, depending on the menu type, which unlike the available smart TVs’ hand motion system, allows for an accurate and easy access to the necessary menus and applications.
• Despite the fact that there are many applications available in the device, the main screen makes four applications visible at a time. This allows for larger app icons and easier movement from one icon to another, increasing the hand gesturing system’s accuracy. Furthermore, the larger visibility of the icons allows the user to focus more on the task of driving rather than focusing on the screen, which not only helps with the applications’ accessibility, but it also promotes the users’ safety. In other words, the main screen allows the driver to access all the device’s applications simply by flipping a hand and/or pointing a finger, and of course there is always the voice command option that allows the driver to tell the device what needs to be done.
• When flipping through the screens each screen makes only four apps visible to the user, yet the LED screen attached to the main screen displays the rest of the app icons, which signals the availability of additional applications.
• Just like the smartphones used in the users’ everyday lives, the device allows the users to personalize the location of the available applications based on their usability and their importance in the users’ experience. For instance, the user might prioritize the multimedia player and the navigation system; therefore, he can make these applications available on the first screen by a simple drag and drop action, allowing him a fast and easy access.
