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Ford Simplifies UX Design
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The user experience (UX) for automobiles has undergone a revolutionary set of changes over the past decade. As technology expanded at a rapid pace, user experience often took a back seat to automaker’s desire to include the latest technologies. Having connectivity to Bluetooth or offering an integrated GPS was considered important, while thought for how a user might access the controls appeared to be of secondary concern.
Frustrated drivers quickly discovered that UX was critical, as they attempted to connect their phone, enter a GPS addresses, or synchronize an address book without success. Some functions that were intended to make it easier for a driver to operate hands-free instead introduced new distractions.
Ford is separating themselves from their original partner, Microsoft. At the early onset of in-car technology, they appeared to be a solid choice. But just as early versions of Windows were not known for their great user experience, the same could be said about the in-car technology. Software glitches that are annoying on a PC or laptop are completely unacceptable in an automobile. The need to work with controls while operating a vehicle has created a need for a focus on simplistic, accessible UX. Ford has found this user experience with an unusual technology partner for 2015. Ford turned to QNX, a subsidiary of Blackberry, the once high-flying maker of phones that were the must-have among connected business users long before iPhone and Android devices were available.
The new UX in cars is known as Sync3 and it provides a greatly simplified way of interfacing with electronics and connected devices. Traditional controls for things such as audio volume and temperature are returning, leaving the touch screen to control access to phone, GPS, and BlueTooth connected devices. Having worked with many embedded systems, many of the principles that are taught in the UX courses at American Graphics Institute carry through those used in automobiles.
Gary Joblonski, the director of infotainment systems at Ford indicated that they know their 2010 efforts with Microsoft were an over-reach, and the effort is now on simplification. Dieter Rams would be proud, as Swiss design philosophy makes its way to the UX of the automobile.
About the author
Jennifer Smith is a user experience designer, educator and author based in Boston. She has worked in the field of user experience design for more than 15 years.She has designed websites, ecommerce sites, apps, and embedded systems. Jennifer designs solutions for mobile, desktop, and iOT devices.
Jennifer delivers UX training and UX consulting for large Fortune 100 companies, small start-ups, and independent software vendors.She has served as a Designer in Residence at Microsoft, assisting third-party app developers to improve their design solutions and create successful user experiences. She has been hired by Adobe and Microsoft to deliver training workshops to their staff, and has traveled to Asia, Europe, India, the Middle East, and across the U.S. to deliver courses and assist on UX design projects. She has extensive knowledge of modern UX Design, and worked closely with major tech companies to create educational material and deliver UX workshops to key partners globally. Jennifer works with a wide range of prototyping tools including XD, Sketch, Balsamiq, Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Blend for Visual Studio. She also works extensively in the fields of presentation design and visual design.
Jennifer is also an expert on Photoshop, digital image editing, and photo manipulation. Having written 10 books on Photoshop, and having consulted and provided training to major media companies and businesses around the globe.
Jennifer is the author of more than 20 books on design tools and processes, including Adobe Creative Cloud for Dummies, Adobe Creative Cloud Digital Classroom, and Photoshop Digital Classroom. She has been awarded a Microsoft MVP three times for her work with user experience design in creating apps for touch, desktop, and mobile devices. Jennifer holds the CPUX-F certification from the User Experience Qualification Board and assists others in attaining this designation in leading a UX certification course at American Graphics Institute. She is a candidate for a Master’s degree in Human Factors in Information Design.