Auto Show Goodies Part 2

This is the second installment of the goodies I found on my trip to the Chicago Auto Show. I mentioned before that one of the main reasons I love going to the auto show, besides getting to hang out with my dad, is sitting in the awesome vehicles. College kids don't usually get the opportunity to hop into the latest BMW, Mercedes Benz, or Audi. So that's exactly what I did!

Mercedes brought their new AMG CL65 Coupe to the show and gave anyone the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of the $207,000 machine.
I jumped in the drivers seat and was immediately overwhelmed with the gadgets I had at my fingertips. It was almost interaction overload, but don't get me wrong- it was awesome! Compared to the Jeep I roll around town in this car felt like a luxury rocket ship. Buttons, dials, and knobs were everywhere, each with a very specific role in making the drivers ride the experience of a lifetime. At first glance the door panel featured too many buttons to even count. However, what was immediately identifiable was the seat controls located on that same door panel.
I thought this was a great place to put the seat controls. In most automobiles offering multi-directional power seats the control is usually on the side of the seat, not readily visible to the person sitting in the seat. Companies have done a good job mapping each button to the corresponding seat sections and movements, making it easier to intuitively adjust the seat. However, as the seat adjustment capabilities have become more advanced it is not as easy to adjust the seat without seeing the buttons. This design takes the seat mapping and puts it on the door panel to help adjust a very advanced powered seating system. As I pushed every button in front of me, just like the 10 year old kid was doing in the passenger seat next to me, it was very easy to see and feel the connection between the button arrangement and movement in correlation to how the seat reacted.

(Shout out to Jisi for making me think about this interaction)

Auto Show Goodies Part 1

Every year me and my dad try to get out to the Chicago Auto Show. Its one of those father son traditions that we started when I was younger. It's fun to go and see what each car company has been developing, look at the futuristic concept vehicles, and sit in some of the new cars.

This year I went to the show with a little different perspective on the car designs. I think most of the EDI peeps will agree that we are all looking at designs, specifically interaction designs, with a little more focus and criticism. So I went into this years auto show knowing that there would be a tons of interaction designs on all of the vehicles.

One of the first designs I came across was this car door handle with small black button on it.
Apparently this button is used in combination with a key fob to lock the door when the driver is leaving the vehicle. As the driver walks up to the car and has the key fob in his or her pocket the car will automatically unlock and can be started without inserting the key into the ignition. However, as the driver is leaving the car the button can be used to lock the car without getting the key fob out and pressing the lock button. I think this is a cool design, your hand is usually close to the door handle as you close the door so it wouldn't be hard to simply push the button. I also like the fact that this button was a very tactile button. It had a good feel to it and was satisfying when you pushed it.

The one thing that struck me initially about this design is that its a bit visually intrusive. The black button doesn't blend well with the silver metallic paint and the button placement, while convenient, is highly visible. I thought the button might be better suited if it were placed on the inside of the handle, out of direct sight line yet still easily accessible.