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Summary
In this session with James Rampton, dive into the automotive UX industry, the types of screens that go into cars, and the impact that tech companies like Apple and Google have had on the industry with products like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Discover the role phones play in shaping the strategy for companies designing software-defined vehicles. Learn what to call that screen in front of you while you're driving and why car companies struggle to make good experiences. Plus, James speculates why Apple gave up making a car and guesses what future experiences will look like for both everyday drivers and those who can afford to have the car drive itself.
Key Insights
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Automotive UX is rapidly shifting from physical controls to complex digital interfaces greatly influenced by smartphone experiences.
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Over-the-air (OTA) updates allow vehicles to improve features and UI post-purchase, extending their lifecycle and user satisfaction.
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The hardware-software merger in vehicles is significantly more complicated than in phones, involving dozens of cameras and powerful CPUs.
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Tech companies like Apple and Google dominate in-car digital ecosystems, but some automakers like Rivian reject phone projection in favor of proprietary OS.
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Simplicity in physical controls was recommended by McKinsey to reduce vehicle manufacturing costs and streamline UX.
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Design systems and component libraries in automotive UX are crucial and align brand identity with in-vehicle digital and physical experiences.
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Projected experiences like Apple CarPlay essentially project a phone’s OS onto the car, disconnecting the vehicle’s native OS from the user.
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Automakers are experimenting with manufacturing phones that double as vehicle extensions, especially some Chinese brands and Polestar.
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User research in automotive UX involves simulators, human factors, driver distraction studies, and collaboration between academia and industry.
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Frequent UI updates pose safety risks if not handled well; user-initiated downloads help mitigate distractions associated with unexpected changes.
Notable Quotes
"It’s almost as if the mechanical aspects of the car are subservient to the digital aspects."
"The challenge is the merger of hardware and software in a product that typically takes roughly four years to develop."
"Volkswagen is investing $5 billion into Rivian to help develop software-defined vehicles."
"Each hard control button can cost anywhere between 50 cents and $10 per unit, which adds up over millions of vehicles."
"Automotive UX is a balancing act between preserving hard controls for durability and going fully digital for flexibility."
"Tesla has about 150 million lines of code in their vehicles, which they’re now reducing using AI to replace some code."
"Projected experiences like Apple CarPlay detach the vehicle OS from the customer and automakers can’t get user data."
"Rivian does not allow Apple CarPlay or Android Auto; they opt for their own optimized EV native system."
"Design systems in automotive are some of the coolest I’ve seen because they have to align both the marketing and the in-vehicle user experience."
"Don’t forget cars are fun; if you’re not having fun behind the wheel, you’re not doing it right."
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