Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
The Basics of Automotive UX & Why Phones Are a Part of That Future
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
The automotive industry is shifting from mechanical to digital-centered UX, with phones playing a central role in the vehicle ecosystem.
-
•
Over-the-air (OTA) updates enable cars to evolve after purchase, improving features and user interfaces remotely.
-
•
Rivian and Volkswagen are investing heavily in software-defined vehicles, designing car architecture around sensors and computing first.
-
•
There is a balance tension between maintaining traditional hard controls and moving fully digital for durability and accessibility.
-
•
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto project the phone OS into the car but limit automakers’ access to user data and control of vehicle functions.
-
•
Some automakers, like GM and Rivian, are reducing or eliminating support for projection systems to own the software experience and data.
-
•
User expectations from smartphones heavily influence automotive UX design, including large touch targets and personalization.
-
•
Teaching design systems and benchmarking in automotive UX helps designers align across hardware, software, and brand communications.
-
•
Cybersecurity in connected cars is an emerging concern, but currently remote car hijacking remains difficult and rare.
-
•
Automotive UX research involves driving simulators, human factors studies, and collaboration between automakers and universities.
Notable Quotes
"The phone itself is almost the center of the automotive ecosystem on the way to work."
"Rivian told Volkswagen, You tell us how to make a software-based vehicle; we’ll build the frame around the computer system and sensors."
"Each hard control button in a car costs between 50 cents and 10 dollars, which adds up to millions in manufacturing costs."
"Astronauts hated digital controls; they wanted durable, glove-friendly hard buttons for the lunar rover."
"Tesla had 150 million lines of code in 2019 and is now replacing hundreds of thousands of lines with AI to improve self-driving features."
"Car owners actually keep their cars longer now because they get new features and UI updates over the years remotely."
"When you project Apple CarPlay, you are basically sending the device from your phone into the car, detaching from the native OS."
"Rivian never allowed Apple CarPlay or Android Auto because they want to own the experience and data."
"If you’re concerned about cybersecurity, buy a used car with fewer electronic features or one that has a strong reliability score."
"Don’t forget cars are fun—get behind the wheel and enjoy a road trip once in a while; UX is meant to enhance that experience."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"VOC wasn’t a replacement for user research, but an enhancer that captured nuggets researchers might miss during discovery."
Shipra KayanHow we Built a VoC (Voice of the Customer) Practice at Upwork from the Ground Up
September 30, 2021
"We often use radio buttons when check boxes or sliders would reveal the truth."
Peter MorvilleThe Architecture of Understanding
May 13, 2015
"If you make a pretty page, that’s great. But if the users can’t actually use the page or they’re frustrated, you just have a pretty page."
Renee ReidBecoming a ResearchH.E.R (Highly Enterprise Ready)
June 3, 2019
"Gesture and embodied actions will be a key tool for understanding user experience as computing moves beyond traditional screen-based interactions."
Dane DeSutterKeeping the Body in Mind: What Gestures and Embodied Actions Tell You That Users May Not
March 26, 2024
"Involving people with disabilities from the start reveals impact and usability issues that automated testing simply cannot catch."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
October 3, 2023
"Younger visitors are nearly twice as likely to engage with digital chat or help but are less satisfied afterward."
Andrew Custage Michael MallettThe Digital Journey: Research on Consumer Frustration and Loyalty
March 29, 2023
"You can’t have a hackathon without free food."
Shelby SwitzerMaking Space for Community Knowledge-sharing in a Distributed World
December 10, 2021
"More than a third of content on social media sites is AI generated, creating a training problem for new AI models."
Llewyn PaineCoexisting with AI: A practical guide for researchers to navigate tools, ethics, and integration
March 11, 2025
"Simon Roberts calls this the UX ification of research, which leads to a more transactional focus on informing technology requirements."
Robin BeersNavigating organizational systems: Rethinking researcher’s role in driving change
March 13, 2025
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
What is the continuum of community engagement and how can it help improve inclusivity?
How do research operations teams manage the tension between consolidating tools and needing specialized capabilities?
How do organizations integrate customer feedback, survey data, and interview transcripts into a single research repository?