UX work underway to make alphabet soup, control icons easier on drivers

At the InCabin USA vehicle technology expo in Detroit, Ford customer research lead Susan Shaw said that the sea of letters around ADAS features and control and indicator icons that vary between vehicles are often confusing to drivers. Shaw pointed out that the following all represent features related to driving lanes: LDW, LKA, LKS, LFA, LCA. These initialisms (groups of letters that form words) are not the only ways the industry refers to these technologies, as some OEMs have their own names for similar things. It all contributes to what can be dangerous assumptions on the part of a driver. “It's shocking how many people think their vehicle will apply the brakes in an emergency, when the car has no such system,” she said.

As an overview to the subject of control and indicator iconography, Shaw began with an introduction to user experience research by talking about a classic example: Norman is the author of “The Design of Everyday Things.” A so-called Norman door is any door that is confusing or does not open or close as a user expects it to. For instance, an unlabeled door that a user does not know whether to push, pull or slide to gain entry. And labels or icons don't necessarily help things.