Cars are not simply a means of transportation. They are a place where time is spent alone, or shared with others. Depending on the situation, the mobility experience can greatly vary. So how should that experience be designed? Beginning with implementations in concept cars, we must explore human cognitive characteristics and designing for awareness… After experiencing the company’s exhibit at Tokyo Auto Salon, Professor Masaya Ando of Chiba Institute of Technology, a leading researcher in UX, discussed the future of car design with Panasonic Automotive Systems Executive Officer Keiko Ohta.
Giving form to future experiences
First, could you share your frank opinion on your experience at the “WELL Cabin Luxe” and the “WELL Cabin Craie2”?
Ando
It was interesting. In the UX field, although one can come up with any number of ideas or concepts, it’s difficult to actually give them a tangible form. However, giving them form —is precisely what’s important. You presented things that move, that one can actually touch and palpably experience, so I thought that was fantastic. It was very encouraging to see that there are technologies that support new experiences.
Ohta
Thank you. There are many things that only become clear once one gives them an actual working form, after all.
Ando
Introducing a large transparent display was a bold move. It was impressive to see information presented on such a large scale, and putting such a large display on a car was an interesting idea in itself. I was also intrigued by the attempt to use AI to analyze finger gestures. My impression was that since it was a demonstration, a great many functions had been incorporated. It was a very enjoyable experience that strongly conveyed the technological potential behind it.
Ohta
As you mentioned, it’s still in the demonstration stage, so one reason it was like that was because we want to present a wide range of possibilities. Of course, it will be necessary to narrow down the functions at the implementation stage.
Ando
That’s the difficult part, isn’t it? When a person rides in a car—that’s an extremely unique and complex situation. It’s incomparably different from other experiences. It’s more confined than a house or workplace, while sometimes there is only one person present, at other times there might be four or five. Because it has to work in that context, I think this makes cars the most difficult field of UX design. Anyone can make up interesting ideas at the planning stage. But it’s very challenging to make UX work while actually driving or in the presence of other passengers.
The essence of UX design lies in the context of use
What do you think is the essence of UX design in the unique environment that cars present?
Ando
First and foremost, a car must be able to be driven safely. All the convenient features are built on that foundation of safety. It’s impossible to discuss UX without that premise.
With that in place, the most important factor in UX design is context of use. The context—defining what something is being used for and what environment it is used in—matters a great deal. If the car is used for weekend drives, that’s a completely different context from shuttling family members to and fro. UX design is about deciding what aspects to focus on in the overarching design. The circumstances in which the car is used matter even more than who is riding in it.
Ohta
That’s true. Sometimes a car will be used by one person; sometimes, by four or five. Even in the example of shuttling family members around, the driver goes to pick up others alone. So we can do a bit of a design that helps one enjoy time alone. Or the car could be a place where two people could have a deep conversation that they normally wouldn’t have. Even when it comes to playing music, we could envelop the entire car in powerful sound—or take the opposite approach and have speakers for individual seats, with an audiobook playing for one person while the other concentrates on driving. Rather than simply adding features, we design with the intention of shaping the way people spend time in the vehicle. That’s something we keep in the forefront of our minds when designing in pursuit of “Joy in Motion.”
Automotive UX is about
designing
for awareness
amid finite attention
We’ve established that context of use is important. So what difficulties do you encounter in actual UX design?
Ando
Humans have a resource called “attention.” When people direct their attention to something, they are able to process information about that part in greater detail. However, this resource is finite. If we concentrate on one thing, we’re less able to notice other things.
In the case of cars, the primary task is driving. When you listen to music while driving, about 70% of your attention is on driving, and 30% is on the music. That level of distraction doesn’t pose a significant problem. But if you have a conversation while driving, your attention is split fifty-fifty. So if something unexpected happens, your reaction might be delayed. This dispersal of attention is called “driver distraction” and can be a cause of accidents. The primary task must not be interfered with—that is a basic principle in automotive UX.
Ohta
It isn’t always good to increase the amount of information available to the driver, is it?
Ando
That’s right. It’s easy to display more information, but the more information people receive, the greater their cognitive load becomes. That’s why interface design must be rooted in an understanding of human cognitive characteristics.
To err is human. That’s why safety features are necessary. But the important thing is not to entrust everything to technology, but for drivers to feel that they are driving their cars themselves. The quality of the experience depends on maintaining the driver’s “sense of competence,” as it is called in psychology.
What kind of initiatives is Panasonic Automotive Systems. undertaking with these human cognitive characteristics in mind?
Ohta
It’s not a commercial product yet, but we’re currently taking on a very challenging project. We call it “Human Insight Intelligence.” The idea is to develop a brain model that combines human cognition with external detection using various sensors.
For example, if you’re driving by a park and see a ball roll across the street, you become alert to the possibility that a child could jump out after it. But there’s a chance that you won’t notice the motorbike approaching from behind at a constant speed. This is because people tend to pay less attention to objects moving at a constant speed.
Human Insight Intelligence uses AI to estimate risk based on information from sensors, and when multiple hazards occur, it determines which ones the driver has or has not noticed. Basically, we’re developing a cognitive support system that identifies cognitive gaps and provides safety guidance when the driver is unaware.
Ando
That’s fascinating. Designing systems to stimulate awareness will become increasingly important going forward. It’s not simply a matter of presenting more information. Because we’re in an age of information overload, it’s crucial for users to feel that they noticed on their own.
Ohta
We also want to avoid simply creating a warning display. Rather than notifying the driver constantly, it’s better to gently supplement what they haven’t noticed. That’s what we’re aiming to achieve.
Ando
Exactly. Noticing is different from just being notified. It’s about the user reading the situation and feeling that they’ve encountered the information on their own. That’s where the value lies.
Toward redefining a world shared with cars
What value do you think automotive UX will have going forward?
Ando
Cars are not isolated products—they’re things used in society. A good experience isn’t assured just because each individual person enjoys his or her own car. Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us all of the value of sharing common spaces. There are things we can’t do without going to a destination. The act of mobility isn’t about just moving, but rather, it’s about sharing important moments of life.
Ohta
The more mobility becomes about sharing moments, the more quality of experience will matter. In that respect, we are still in the process of research and development. We will need more detailed knowledge and more thorough verification going forward.
For many years, our company has been researching Human Insight Technology. We study what environments people find comfortable, and what stimuli give them a sense of reassurance. Bit by bit, we’ve gained an understanding of human perception and cognitive characteristics.
However, the word “comfort” is very abstract. That’s why we don’t leave the feelings as vague impressions, but are committed to carefully examining, factor by factor, what actually produce them. From there, we need to establish the logic and evidence behind them.
Then it becomes a question of how to implement that as situation-aware design. We’re sure this area still has much potential for development, and want to pursue that seriously. We believe that gaining a deeper understanding of reassurance and comfort in mobile spaces, and continuing to research them, will form the foundation for building the cars of the future.
Ando
In the future, if the personal data sensed by cars could be used not only with the vehicles but also in daily life or other industries, it might create new kinds of value. Insights gained from how individuals use cars, which are a very familiar and personal mode of transportation, could also be connected to other contexts. I feel there’s potential there as well. We’re at a juncture where the world we share with cars is about to be redefined. The question is, can we design experiences that naturally form within the context of use? That will undoubtedly shape how cars are developed in the future.
Masaya Ando
Professor, Department of Advanced Media, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Chiba Institute of Technology
Keiko Ohta
Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.
Executive Officer
Japan Chief Executive Officer (Japan CEO)
