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The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

uxdesign.cc

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Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#291

Post by 30944836 »

0x0203 wrote: post #247
30944836 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Not to mention using a touchscreen to adjust the temperature while driving is incredibly dangerous compared to a dial you can feel for without taking your eyes off the road. I understand this concern and opinion. I just wish that people who had this opinion realized that their car has a very modern voice interface that can reliably understand commands for temperature changes. I know, I know, it's not the buttons you…

> voice interface that can reliably understand commands for temperature changes. Unless... - The radio is playing. - The windows are open. - You're driving in heavy wind/rain/hail pelting the car or other driving conditions making an awful racket. - You don't drive a super expensive car, but one designed by marketing, bean counters, and summer interns. - Other people in the car are talking/conversing. - Other people…

>So what exactly is the benefit of moving to touch screens / voice control?

When it works -- and it works in most of the situations you mentioned (spoiler alert: I work in this space) because it's designed to -- it's safer than using any physical controls at all.

I get that adoption of the half-ass solutions is frustrating. But if we are truly targeting a future where being able to manipulate car features is to be as safe as possible, voice is the best way to do that, at least until we have a solution to beam thoughts directly to the car's computer.

Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#293

Post by dmckeon »

ratww wrote: post #11
arky527 wrote: post #5

Modern cars seem to be moving towards all controls on a touch screen somewhere. I suppose this allows for more frequent updates, but in my experience it just leads to more bugs and more painful factory updates. Not to mention using a touchscreen to adjust the temperature while driving is incredibly dangerous compared to a dial you can feel for without taking your eyes off the road.

I really wonder if the possibility of updates alone can make software worse. Because you don't have to "get it right" on the first try. And the updates always contain something more than bug and security fixes, which often help keeping the quality of the experience low, despite fixed bugs. All the smart TVs I ever had lasted a long long time physically, but after a couple years they invariably started being noticeabl…

> patches became somewhat slower after update.

Could this be a form of assisted obsolescence, in which a user who has owned a device for a few years is being subliminally urged to buy a new model?

Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#294

Post by pcurve »

AdamH12113 wrote: post #284

I feel like a lot of people have forgotten that before the iPhone, touchscreens were widely regarded as a terrible interface only suitable for niche applications like kiosks. There were good reasons for that, and latency and lack of tactile feedback were high on the list. Touchscreens have proved effective in situations where you need a highly-flexible interface in a small space, but an awful lot of devices (like app…

I agree.

I get why the trade off is worthwhile on smartphone.

But I hate the push in automotive application. Yes, I'd like a big screen for navigation, but don't replace HVAC controls.

It's not just about touch screen. There is overuse of capacitive buttons in cars. And it is all about dollars.

Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#295

Post by White_Wolf »

woopwoop wrote: post #181
arky527 wrote: post #5

Modern cars seem to be moving towards all controls on a touch screen somewhere. I suppose this allows for more frequent updates, but in my experience it just leads to more bugs and more painful factory updates. Not to mention using a touchscreen to adjust the temperature while driving is incredibly dangerous compared to a dial you can feel for without taking your eyes off the road.

My toyota Corolla has a touch screen for interacting with audio. It has the following delightful features: - latency - it has a boot procedure when you turn the car on. While this happens, the controls have quite substantial latency. However the first thing that happens is it begins playing audio. - there is a knob for adjusting volume, but it's still part of the same system as the rest of it. There is still substant…

>>> "However the first thing that happens is it begins playing audio."

Yeah. In the same boat and my wife like to play pranks when she uses the car. Turns the volume to max right before removing the key. When her phone is not found it defaults to radio. That "saved me" from having to drink my morning coffee in the office on more than one occasion + it's good training for the heart.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the volume knob is ignored until the system fully boots up and the audio starts as soon as you twist the key.

Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#296

Post by m463 »

izacus wrote: post #191
arky527 wrote: post #5

Modern cars seem to be moving towards all controls on a touch screen somewhere. I suppose this allows for more frequent updates, but in my experience it just leads to more bugs and more painful factory updates. Not to mention using a touchscreen to adjust the temperature while driving is incredibly dangerous compared to a dial you can feel for without taking your eyes off the road.

> I suppose this allows for more frequent updates, but in my experience it just leads to more bugs and more painful factory updates. What is allows for is: cost cutting. Not having to install a mask, a button, wire harness and QA everything is a massive manufacturing cost saving. It speeds up production and lowers the amount of components that need to be sourced, installed and later made available for replacement as…

I always hope these kinds of situations would lead to a market opportunity for someone to come in and do it right... but it rarely does.

Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#297

Post by d136o »

woopwoop wrote: post #181
arky527 wrote: post #5

Modern cars seem to be moving towards all controls on a touch screen somewhere. I suppose this allows for more frequent updates, but in my experience it just leads to more bugs and more painful factory updates. Not to mention using a touchscreen to adjust the temperature while driving is incredibly dangerous compared to a dial you can feel for without taking your eyes off the road.

My toyota Corolla has a touch screen for interacting with audio. It has the following delightful features: - latency - it has a boot procedure when you turn the car on. While this happens, the controls have quite substantial latency. However the first thing that happens is it begins playing audio. - there is a knob for adjusting volume, but it's still part of the same system as the rest of it. There is still substant…

Hah our Subaru does this where it defaults to playing the radio at some volume whenever you “boot up” the car. I’ve got no idea what station is selected as the boot up station but every time I turn on our car it plays static.

How about no sound? How about defaulting to silence? Nope…

Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#298

Post by cosmotic »

This article misses the point of software controls: The designs can be changed up until the release of the item, sometimes even after the release using post-sales software updates. This allows companies to be more agile. The lead time for physical controls and custom LCDs is months if not years and costs tens of thousands of dollars, where software can be updated in days with near-zero cost. Also, most humans are easily wooed by the glitzy animations during the pre-sales period and aren't cognizant of the problems they suffer later due to bad controls.

Though the author did hit the nail on the head about tactility.

Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#299

Post by Spivak »

m463 wrote: post #296
izacus wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I suppose this allows for more frequent updates, but in my experience it just leads to more bugs and more painful factory updates. What is allows for is: cost cutting. Not having to install a mask, a button, wire harness and QA everything is a massive manufacturing cost saving. It speeds up production and lowers the amount of components that need to be sourced, installed and later made available for replacement as…

I always hope these kinds of situations would lead to a market opportunity for someone to come in and do it right... but it rarely does.

You can't create a market opportunity for something without it being a differentiating feature.

2022 Honda Civic but with physical buttons probably doesn't move the needle because car buyers are price sensitive and because 2022 Honda Civic with screen is still better than alternatives.

Re: The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

#300

Post by Izkata »

causi wrote: post #87
arky527 wrote: post #5

Modern cars seem to be moving towards all controls on a touch screen somewhere. I suppose this allows for more frequent updates, but in my experience it just leads to more bugs and more painful factory updates. Not to mention using a touchscreen to adjust the temperature while driving is incredibly dangerous compared to a dial you can feel for without taking your eyes off the road.

It seems that Star Trek was incredibly prescient when they depicted literally every interface as a touchscreen.

Well, TNG-era and afterwards at least. The original series was all knobs and buttons.

(Aside, in the novels they came up with a reason for this: During the Earth-Romulan war they had to go partially low-tech to avoid the Romulan telecapture technology, a technology they'd just developed to remotely hack into and control enemy starships. Apparently the design kept for ~100 years up through TOS when they finally learned more about the Romulans.)

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