A first-principle approach to designing automotive interfaces and user experience. Presentation & workshop conducted at DEW2014, IIITDM Jabalpur on 8th December 2014.

1. HMI Design
A First-Principle Approach
kshitish@paperkite.in

2. (Design) Principles
• User-centric
• Task-centric
• Responsive to environmental
needs
• Situation-aware
• Process-driven - Show and tell
ask evaluate
Optimisation of processes and
minimisation of sensory,
psychological and process
loads
User Needs
& Activities
Structure
Technology
Aesthetics
DesignProcess-Ground-up
UserInteraction-Top-down
A description of interactions
happening between the driver
and the vehicle.
cycle defines the user expThis diagram shows the basic design process, as an adaptation
of the Abstraction Hierarchy (AH) model of product/interaction
design. The design process and the user expectations always
move in opposite directions and hence, it becomes extremely
important to start from both ends.
The Automotive Experience Stack
2

3. Loads
LITERATURE STUDY 25
Driving
Task
Navigation
Strategic
Operational
Tactical
Environment
Control
Guidance
The Driving Task - Level 2
The driving task system showing operational,
tactical & strategic components.
What are the
various load
components
while driving?
3

4. The HMI/Vehicle Universe as a Whole
Display Controls Space Access Environment
• Shows critical
information about the
task being performed
• Alerts the users multi-
sensorally
• Allow manipulation of
the task being
performed
• Allow users to take
critical actions
• Provide a comfortable
and stress-free work
environment
• Provide efficient
ingress/egress with
the outer environment
• The universe as a
whole :)
How do you define the context for various on-road scenarios?
- Buses have passengers as well as operators
- Cars are a personalised user experience
- Locomotives are isolated experiences, spanning for hours and days
The Context
4

5. The Interface Product Experience
Action/Information
Presentation
CommunicationExperience
5

6. How to Begin
Start with questions:
- What are the expected actions?
- What information is needed to execute these actions?
- How do you communicate this information?
- What is the experience desired?
Define criticality:
- How critical are these actions?
- What is the most critical action and why?
- How do you communicate the criticality without hindering the user’s main task?
How does the HMI seamlessly fit into the users’ mental models and his/her familiar ways of performing tasks?
6

7. The Design Process
Display Controls Space Access Environment
• Shows critical
information about the
task being performed
• Alerts the users multi-
sensorally
• Allow manipulation of
the task being
performed
• Allow users to take
critical actions
• Provide a comfortable
and stress-free work
environment
• Provide efficient
ingress/egress with
the outer environment
• The universe as a
whole :)
• Are all my
informational needs
being addressed?
• How many modes of
communication is the
system using?
• Is it adding to my
cognitive load?
• How accessible are
the controls?
• How much body
movement is needed
to operate them?
• Am I able to operate
without fatigue or
pains?
• Do I feel in control of
the task when I’m in
the space?
• How accessible is the
exit in case of an
emergency?
• Does the entry
welcome me?
• Are environmental
cues accessible to
me at all times?
• Am I able to refine my
judgements based on
what I see, hear, smell
or feel?
7

8. Analysis Methods
• Hierarchical Task Analysis
• Drury’s Matrix
• Allocation of Function
• Heuristic Evaluation
• Automation - MABA/MABA
• Anthropometric Study
Any method that makes sense
logically, and doesn’t just rely
on intuition!
TASK ANALYSIS - The Driving Task
Clutch
Brake
Accelerator
Instrument PanelAuxilliary Panel
Gearshift Lever
Auxilliary Lever
Parking Brake
Ignition Switch
Turn Indicator
Steering Wheel
Link Analysis
A link diagram based on the hierarchical task model. The
analysis. The dotted nodes show the monitoring elements.
Workspace Schematic
General schematic for a 4-wheeler interface. A detailed link
analysis was carried out for the same.
Start the ve
Starting the veh
and training kno
TASK ANALYSIS - The Driving Task
Clutch
Brake
Accelerator
Instrument PanelAuxilliary Panel
Gearshift Lever
Auxilliary Lever
Parking Brake
Ignition Switch
Turn Indicator
Steering Wheel
Link Analysis
A link diagram based on the hierarchical task model. The
analysis. The dotted nodes show the monitoring elements.
Workspace Schematic
General schematic for a 4-wheeler interface. A detailed link
analysis was carried out for the same.
Start the vehicle
Starting the vehicle mainly needs static mental models
and training knowledge of the driving task.
Monitor
Monitoring is the task that requires judgements and
dynamic mental models. The yellow shaded triangle shows
the monitoring area and the lines show the actions associ-
ated with the monitoring task.
Stop the vehicle
Stopping the vehicle also needs training knowledge on
when to press the brakes and by what amounts.
Repeated component usage is a
major cause of fatigue and bodily
pain/discomfort.
The auxilliary panel (clock
etc.) are often outside the
cone of vision.
8

9. An Example
9

10. Considerations
• The vehicle is either moving, or performing some task - there is no ‘leisure time’!
• Safety is a universal concern - how do you balance attention and distraction?
• Mistakes can be critical - how do you minimise errors in judgement?
• The process is expensive - how do you prepare efficient testing methods for automotive HMI?
10

11. Examples
soilwork
two lives worth of reckoning
the panic broadcasteq metal
04:32 PM 04:32 PM
24
°C
soilwork
two lives worth o...
the panic broadc...
eq metal
All-touch
integrated control panel (ICP)
for Mahindra Xylo
Switch-bank
integrated control panel (ICP)
(entry segment)
Touch-panel, non-touch display
integrated control panel (ICP)
(mid segment)
Touch-panel, touch-display
integrated control panel (ICP)
(high segment)
11

12. Thank You
kshitish@paperkite.in