THINGS ABOUT HUMAN UI THAT

WILL change forever IN SELF-DRIVING

CARS

10

Ken Tabor

I own a car and I drive it nearly every day. Not too long from now the car will be the

one driving me.

@KenTabor

Future Ken will still own a car, he might operate the car, but the days dedicated to

humans driving are numbered.

@KenTabor

How will we interact differently with cars in the future? What user interface (UI)

controls can vanish? Are we going to miss them, or is it good riddance?

@KenTabor

It’s going to feel very different being a passenger in the driver’s seat!

@KenTabor

Headlamps, turn indicators, and brake lights are completely unnecessary. They signal intended movement choices between human drivers.

There’s no reason having signal lights when computers control cars. They’re antiquated leftovers from obsolete

biological visual systems (aka “eyeballs.”)

1. Turning off Signals

@KenTabor

2. Love an Extra Glovebox There’s no need for a space-hogging steering wheel in a self-driving car. Get rid of it! Reclaim all of that space as storage for the primary operator. Keep all the snacks and sun-glasses you want!

Scratch that. Give me a shelf for my laptop. Offer a power connection. Activate wifi. Turn the car into the ultimate docking station for my laptop/tablet/phone.

@KenTabor

3. Treating WindowsWindows are a traditional, vital, user interface. Unobstructed views allow human drivers to see where they’re going. We won’t be needing those anymore.

Decorate your windows! Your living room has shades, curtains, or shutters. Bring that personal style into cars.

Make the windows stained glass and beautiful!Do we even need big sheets of glass surrounding the car? Let’s make them touch-screens instead. @KenTabor

4. Gauging InterestSpeed, RPMs, engine heat, and other dashboard gauges are obsolete when people stop driving. Figure out what’s useful to human riders. Show more of that!

Actionable info: “Are we there yet?”, “Does my car need a charge?”, “What’s interesting nearby?” Lead

with a consumer-grade user experience!

@KenTabor

5. Car SeatingPower seats contribute to a fantastic UX. They have deep configuration for your comfort. Move forward and backward, tilt up and down, and adjust the angle.

Include turning the seat clockwise. When I’m in “the driver's seat” of a self-driving car I want to spin around.

Then I can fully engage passengers in the backseat. Human-centered design for the win!

@KenTabor

6. Stalking ControlStalks. Two arms sticking out of the steering wheel. They lift up and drop down. Pull forward and push backward. Ends turn around. Always partially obstructed, and at times totally out of view. Littered by icons requiring interpretation, and small text demanding concentration.

UI overload! UX fail! Get rid of stalks. We’ll never miss the dozen horrible micro-interactions.

@KenTabor

7. Holding the CupWater, coffee, sodas - we drink plenty sitting in cars. You can never have too many cup holders. Most cars have a few low in the center. Where they can’t be a distraction.

Raise them up. Feature them. Right at eye level within reach. Fit a lot more than just a cup: electric razor,

cellphone, eye liner, toothbrush. Stuff we want!

@KenTabor

8. Unsticking Gear SticksI owned a 350Z. It was manual and shifting through its gears was a blast. Eventually I traded it in for an automatic. Why in the world does it have a gear stick?

Exchange the stick for two buttons. One labeled “forward”, and one labeled “backward.” Let it go into

park when I stop and turn off the car.

@KenTabor

9. Considering the CenterYou’ll find a floor-mounted console between the front seats. It serves to divide driver and passenger while providing modest storage.

Rip it out! I want the space back when my car drives itself. I’ll gain leg room so I can swivel around and talk

to people riding in the back seat.

@KenTabor

10. Chasing that FeelingWe’re in a car culture. People grow up with them, buy them, customize, and name them. Saying goodbye to human-driven automobiles will be difficult.

Gear-heads might get their need for speed at private driving reserves. Members-only clubs could offer the

thrill of old-school driving: dirt bikes, ATVs, Jeeps, snowmobiles. Open-air and dangerous? Yes please!

@KenTabor

What will we call the next generation of cars? Automobiles! They’ll continue being

mobile, and even more automatic.

!@KenTabor

Where will our first autonomous-only town be? Who will forbid human driven

cars? For the safety of families!

"@KenTabor

Ages for operating self-driving cars will open up. Children as young as eight, and

seniors well past retirement, can navigate a clean computer interface.

#@KenTabor

Humans traveling in self-driving cars will choose touch screen over voice control.

Passengers want to talk with one another, listen to music, or silently work.

$@KenTabor

Your self-driving car will pick you up curbside and that’s fantastic. How to recognize it from all the others? Design it! Choose its color and style matching your personality.

%@KenTabor

It’s going to feel very different being a passenger in the driver’s seat!

What do you think?

@KenTabor

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