There aren’t a whole lot of physical knobs and buttons on most of the “digital dashboards” rolling off the assembly lines these days. But as the automakers grapple with finding ways to improve the user interface in their infotainment systems, we may see and hear more and more old school radio terms and gadgetry.
But that’s the whole point. While streaming radio and “connected cars” may be innovative, they often leave consumers confused about how to use and enjoy them. It’s the same with the pure-plays. Hence, references to familiar, comfortable touch points.
And brand names like Pandora Radio, Slacker Radio, and iTunes Radio.
The next step in the devolution is familiar radio hardware to help make drivers safer and more familiar with what’s in front of their faces. Earlier this year at CES, we interviewed Chrysler’s Joni Christensen, head of that company’s UConnect system, about the “digital dashboard.” Her comments echo the need for simplicity and the radio experience:
“…when you’re in radio mode, you see radio. If you go to a player, you’re in the player. So you have the controls, but we also have the familiar controls so we didn’t force people to use the touch screen. We left what is utilitarian and practical so people can adapt technology to their own pace.”
Ford is also moving to a blend of knobs and buttons, along with their touchscreen technology. Earlier this month, they announced their “center stack” will be modified in 2014 models featuring MyFord Touch, similar to what is now on their F150 trucks:
This speaks to the need for automakers to make it intuitive, clean, and easy for consumers. While they may enjoy multi-options when they drive their vehicles, the need for simplicity comes through loud and clear.
One of the best ways to make this happen is to mimic an experience that is second nature to people – tuning in and listening to a radio. It’s the goal of the automakers to embody the radio experience, albeit on a different platform. But because everyone’s reference point is radio, they’re simply using that familiar customer interface that is nearly a century old.
And that should stimulate those in broadcast radio to examine their own house to evaluate the current state of audio entertainment. In Techsurvey9, we asked the 13% of our sample who says they’re listening to less radio these days to tell us what are the main drivers behind these decreases?
Once you get beyond lifestyle – changing jobs, moving, and other “uncontrollables” – it turns out that “self-inflicted wounds” are more corrosive than the many new competitors now facing radio. Dissatisfaction with programming and complaints about commercials actually trump iPods, satellite radio, pure-plays, mobile phones, and video games.
To satisfy consumers, it is essential to listen to them. From J.D. Power ratings to dealership feedback, the automakers are seeking to eliminate their “self-inflicted” wounds by focusing on the ease and simplicity of radio.
Shouldn’t the radio industry be doing the same?
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Button availability was a key “driver” (I’m so funny sometimes I crack myself up) when I bought my most recent car – ans so was how well each feature worked.
Specifically, I ruled out BMW, mostly because I thought iDrive, their mouse driven system was clunky, hard to maneuver and specifically, made it very hard to turn on and change stations on any kind of radio. To be fair, I don’t like their recent styling or sticker price – but had BMW’s center stack been different, I would have at least considered one.
If I were advising auto makers on their connected car features, I’d suggest a series of buttons that can be set as defaults – for radio, other media, GPS destinations and phone numbers. My car doesn’t let you configure them, but offers buttons for a lot of common functions. That would liberate them for a lot of boomers and non tech savvy people whose kids/friends/spouses could set them up once for them and make occasional changes as needed. You know – the way that iPods and Blackberrys are liberated for radio CEOs 🙂
We just took a family vacation to the Grand Canyon/Sedona and did a lot of driving. Our rental car had an audio jack and enough places to charge all of our phones and music in the car was almost 100% Pandora (we all have Pandora personalized stations – including my non tekkie wife) and Spotify – which came in handy when there wasn’t enough signal to run Pandora.
Just sayin….
Thanks for the true life family experience. I think that one of your suggestions will probably happen – a way for consumers to pre-program their key go-to choices. We can only hope they’d be flexible about changing them from time to time, rather than setting and then forgetting them.
As for Pandora & Spotify while in a new part of the country, that’s probably a more common reality, as opposed to scanning local stations, only to be disappointed with the outcome or signals that come and go. Thanks, Bob.
I drove my first electric car last Sunday, a Toyota Prius Sunday. I couldn’t figure out how to quickly use the radio because it didn’t have obvious presets. Since I was trying to hit 90 and see what the gas mileage would be for an electric car going 90 miles an hour; I may not have been at my tech best. I remember thinking, “What a stupid radio”. I was trying to figure out how to do the presets when I drove past a policeman going 80….but that’s the rest of the story.
When I test drove my Ford Edge, I almost got into an accident, fiddling with MyFord Touch, rather than keeping my eye on the road. I think that’s common when you first get into a new vehicle, so more intuitive knobs and technology are essential to a satisfying experience. It varies a great deal from brand to brand. Thanks, Dave.
Great topic Fred –
The challenge for auto makers comes down to targeting. The behavioral disparities of the generations make mimicking an experience that is second nature to people a tough one. Our generation can’t program a VCR while my 19 year old son by-passes the dashboard altogether and plugs in his iPhone for the specific entertainment he wants. But he is not as likely to buy a car as I am anytime soon so whose behavior do the auto-makers target?
Radio’s self-inflicted wounds are a whole other topic so let’s assume for this discussion that this is not the immediate problem. Is there a one-size-fits-all dashboard solution?
What is the hands-free zero setup no programming answer to the dash? There is only one I can think of…a Siri-like voice command system (one that works) that does what I tell it. And it allows me to access the content I want from the Internet or my personal playlist of music or apps with radio on it so I have no need to plug in another device.
I know half-answers are out there with things like Sync etc. But it must do all these features and more all on command like search, GPS/maps, deals, music, apps, and it must work. More important is the personal benefits of ease and simplicity. This will solve the issue of setup; hands-free solves the dangerous problem of hands on and finally the confusing problem of choice because the screen will have too many choices so I’ll just ignore them anyway.
Just maybe one-size can fit all. IMO this is the answer to making it intuitive, clean, and easy for all generations in the car. Or did I just describe why I use my smart phone for virtually everything now? Come to think about it I spend an hour a day at best with my car and 18 hours a day with my smart phone. OK, that’s who to mimic.
Good point, Mike. The smartphone is the center of it all, and I believe it has made us smarter. But the touch aspect of these mini-computers is part of the problem that many automakers struggle with – hence the knob movement over a touchscreen. That’s part of the dilemma – it may be possible for us to text and walk without causing too much damage. It’s a whole other thing to be touching a screen and manipulating content while we drive.
Thanks for the perspective as always, Mike.
You are so right Fred. And there is great work being done on controlling devices with just the sound of your voice to handle this issue. A great example is what Microsoft is doing with services like Xbox Voice Search on Bing and how Xbox Kinect knows when you enter a room and responds to your voice or your hand movements. Google is all over this as well with Android. So someone will take control of the dashboard “verbally” just like in gaming there is no controller, with the TV there is no remote and with the dash there will be no touching necessary. Although come to think of it…with driver-less cars, touching the screen won’t be a big deal. Right? 🙂
Agree completely about voice commands – and that’s where Ford continues to work on their system, Siri is showing up in vehicles, and yes, those driverless cars are coming. Fasten your seatbelt! Thanks, Mike.