Throughout history, Human Factors has played an important role in the design of products, systems, and workspaces. One significant product/system/workspace is the cabin. This includes the design of cabins for trained professionals operating everything from rockets to aircraft to land vehicles to submarines. Of all these cabins is a very large population who, without extensive training, operate vehicles that travel on the crust of our earth. While these vehicles and the convenience and assistance they offer continues to evolve and change, it is important to note that the average North American driver only receives detailed training at some time between the age of 15 and 18. After that training, this driver is allowed to drive…for a number of months…with a trained adult driver to supervise them. After that, this person is allowed to drive on their own…and this goes on for years and decades…without additional formal training.
We, as automobile designers and manufacturers, are tasked with ensuring a safe, intuitive, and satisfying experience for this vast population of drivers as they, over the years and decades:
· Purchase new and different vehicles than the ones they first learned on
· Experience increasing access to media and communications, levels of assistance, and levels of autonomy
· Switch vehicles because they are part of a multi-vehicle family, or they travel for business or vacation and rent and drive different vehicles
This workshop will help raise awareness to the trade-offs of standardizing vs. distinguishing user interface designs, and will use examples and small group exercises to bolster this understanding and achieve an optimum balance when choosing standard and unique in-cabin designs.
By engineers, for engineers: A technically grounded guide to the rapidly evolving in-cabin technology industry and companies.
