Why is the car-setting process so difficult, and how can UX fix it?

Due to various UX flaws, the car-setting process can be unnecessarily complicated. With modern vehicles packed with features, manufacturers sometimes prioritize aesthetics and technology over usability, making even simple tasks like adjusting the temperature or configuring seat positions complex.

Why is the car-setting process so complicated?

1. Overloaded with Features: Cars today come with dozens of features crammed into one interface—climate control, infotainment systems, seat adjustments, navigation, driving modes, and more. Often, these are not logically grouped, creating a confusing experience where users need to dig through menus or guess where settings are.
2. Inconsistent Design: Each car brand—and sometimes different models within a brand—has a different interface for handling the same tasks. What you learned in one car doesn’t necessarily apply to another, forcing users to constantly re-learn essential functions.
3. Touchscreen Dependency: Touchscreens are being used to replace buttons and knobs, but they can be challenging to operate while driving. The lack of physical feedback means drivers must take their eyes off the road to navigate menus, increasing cognitive load and distraction.
4. Poor Feedback: When adjusting settings, it’s unclear if changes have been applied. For instance, adjusting climate controls might not give immediate feedback through sound or haptics, leaving users unsure if the setting was changed.
5. Minimal User Research: Some manufacturers design these systems based on technical possibilities or aesthetics rather than user needs. As a result, the systems don’t align with real-world driving scenarios or user preferences.

How can UX fix the car-setting process?

1. Simplify with Contextual Controls: Implement contextual settings that adapt based on what the user is doing. For example, only essential driving-related settings, such as climate and navigation, should be visible when the car is in motion. More complex settings (e.g., seat configuration, infotainment setup) can become available when parked. This reduces cognitive load and distraction while driving.
2. Standardize Core Interactions: Establish industry standards for core vehicle controls (e.g., climate, seat position, volume). While cars can have unique features, basic tasks should work the same across models and brands, reducing the learning curve for users switching between vehicles.
3. Combine Tactile and Digital Controls: While touchscreens are versatile, they should be complemented by physical buttons or dials for essential functions. These tactile controls, for things like temperature or volume, can be adjusted without looking at the dashboard, allowing for muscle memory and minimizing distractions.
4. Personalized User Profiles: Create user profiles stored in the cloud or on the driver’s smartphone. These profiles can store seat positions, mirror angles, climate preferences, and even media settings. Whenever the user enters the vehicle, their personalized settings are applied automatically. This reduces setup time and enhances the driving experience by creating a more seamless, consistent environment.
5. Immediate Feedback through Haptics & Sound: Implement haptic feedback for touchscreens, allowing users to feel a subtle vibration when they’ve successfully adjusted a setting. Also, provide audio confirmations (subtle tones) when certain changes are made, such as adjusting the temperature or activating cruise control. This creates a more intuitive interaction without overwhelming the driver with too many alerts.
6. Natural Language Voice Control: Enhance voice control systems that allow drivers to adjust settings without touching any buttons or screens. Rather than navigating menus, drivers could say, “Set the temperature to 72 degrees” or “Switch to sport mode.” A well-designed natural language interface can simplify the process, making adjustments while driving safer and more intuitive.
7. AI-Powered Predictive Adjustments: Use AI and machine learning to predict user preferences. For example, suppose the system recognizes that the driver typically sets the air conditioning to a certain level or listens to a specific playlist during the morning commute. In that case, it can automatically adjust these settings before the driver needs to.
8. Adaptive Interfaces: Create adaptive displays that change based on driving conditions. For instance, during highway driving, the interface could focus on performance metrics and navigation, while during city driving, it could highlight features like traffic information and eco-driving modes. This way, the most relevant features are surfaced when needed without overwhelming the driver.
9. Gesture Controls for Quick Actions: Introduce gesture-based controls for quick tasks like adjusting volume or answering calls. These gestures should be simple and intuitive, allowing drivers to make changes without physically touching the interface, reducing distractions.
10. Enhanced Smartphone Integration: Improve integration with smartphones. Systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto already bring familiarity to car interfaces, but expanding their control capabilities could allow users to adjust settings or set preferences from their phone before even entering the vehicle.

The Goal: Seamless, Safe, and Intuitive

By applying these UX principles, car manufacturers can greatly improve the car-setting process. The key is balancing the complexity of modern features with ease of use, ensuring drivers can make adjustments quickly, safely, and intuitively without taking their attention off the road.