A car is a context in which activity is determined entirely by human - computer interaction. Driver and passengers alike, are confined to the affordances and constraints given by their particular physical placement within the vehicle. These affordances and constraints range from the location of the ignition and the arrangement of the alphabet in the navigation, to the inclination and heating of the seats. By refining existing controls within the car based on practical observation, it is possible to gain insight on how to take a more human-centric approach to designing the interactions. There is an opportunity for design in any observed instance of mistake, confusion, or discomfort. In the case of the car’s driver, a mistake or lack of understanding in the function of a control can be disastrous. Therefore, to design responsibly, vehicle controls need to be placed, designed, and communicated with great care and practicality.
In the case of the windshield-wiper control, all functions related to the windshield wiper have traditionally been isolated and confined to a single control with multiple, overlapping states. By generating state diagrams based on the existing controls, it is possible to reverse-engineer the mental models the original designers intended for the users. What we find, is that although each state is labeled, the physical distance of the control from the driver does not provide for instantaneous clarity while driving. The overlap and inconsistency of the triggers paired with an excess of modes for which there exists only non-specific feedback opens up many opportunities for improvement.
