Speculation: Delay in 6.0 Due to Liability and User Experience Issues

[Runs Kwh]

Tesla has far fewer resources than Apple, but there have been significant improvements with the Model S software over the past few years. They will continue. Patience...

All it takes is one good UX designer to work with Tesla on the interface. As a basic example, there is a 17" screen, which means a lot of real estate. If you just look at the top controls (nav, media, etc.). Right now they are all icons that have unique shapes. To the eye and mind, the thought is that you physically need to touch the icon itself to open that menu. For music, it's got the narrow shape due to the musical note (called a ??). For the brain (and eyes), it takes a nano-second more than it should to place your finger on the icon, versus just in the area of the icon. A much better UX design would have a broader button, but with the icon on it (much like a keyboard).

That's one example, another would be temp controls at the bottom. They are all grayed and a little on the small side and again, the part you need to touch isn't quite large enough - again, leaving the brain and eyes to take extra time to place the finger in the right spot.

Those nano-seconds that are extra time are the difference between just moving on - or perhaps an auto accident.

Ditto on how the phone operates. I call up my mother. On my 3 year VW, I just say "Call Mom on Mobile" and it connects me. On the Tesla, I say "Call Mom" and then it pops up all four of her numbers and then I have to take my eyes off the road, look down at the screen and read all four numbers to figure out which to touch to call her. Again, accident waiting to happen.

This is what I mean by the UX (not including the multiple clicks to go from listening to slacker to just flip it to a radio station).

I love my Tesla, but the UX is not to par (Tesla should hire a good UX team to help).

- - - Updated - - -

What? People are still talking about this? The demise of this thread is behind schedule. Must be a liability issue.

I've seen many more threads that not even have a life on these boards, such as "Unsatisfying Odometer." Just sayin.....

 

[jerry33]

Actually, what's needed is some indents in the bezel so that you don't even have to look. (More important on the bottom than on the top as you seldom use the top buttons while driving.)

 

[dsm363]

I have the right thumb wheel for temp so I never have to look.

The phone issue can easily be solved with a future update. I think the UI is excellent. Sure it could use tweaks but they did a great job to start. Very responsive interface.

 

[tezco]

...For the record, people bringing up the McDonald's case is a pet peeve of mine and one I can't let go by. The facts of the case are pretty damning for McD's. It wasn't just spilled coffee. It was scalding hot coffee heated to a temperature that they'd been warned about, but willfully ignored because it was more convenient to keep it at a temperature that resulted in 3rd degree burns and plastic surgery for the burned person. The Actual Facts about the Mcdonalds' Coffee Case Read about the case. McDonald's deserved to be sued over this 'spilled coffee' and I'm glad they lost.

Ruh-roh, someone pressed the Bonnie McDonald's coffee button. Run!

Thank goodness I just reset the temp on my Keurig to the lowest setting (just in case Bonnie was to drop by for a cup....)

 

[dayhu99]

Physical Buttons for touch screen

I think this might be of some interest so I am re posting a message that was previously shown in TMC

Physical Buttons for touch screen

There are a number of us "more mature" owners who would like to see a few physical buttons on the control panel although I appreciate it is not likely to happen

Here is a partial solution at least A company called Steelseries make small physical capacitive buttons which you can stick to touch screens by means of tiny suction cups
I have put 6 of these buttons on my touch screen and can now without looking at the screen (ie by feel only) adjust temperature ,turn on and off front and rear windscreen heaters etc


​

 

[jerry33]

I think the UI is excellent. Sure it could use tweaks but they did a great job to start. Very responsive interface.

^^^^ This!!

 

[ChrisgG]

I agree with the OP that the UI can use some improvments. sure its good generally but I think it's not thought throu in details sometimes. Many of those can be adressed with some new voice commands, more possible functions on the stearing wheel buttons or UI changes. They already did it with small changes so the Time is now quiet a bit bigger than in the beginning

I think this might be of some interest so I am re posting a message that was previously shown in TMC

Physical Buttons for touch screen

There are a number of us "more mature" owners who would like to see a few physical buttons on the control panel although I appreciate it is not likely to happen

Here is a partial solution at least A company called Steelseries make small physical capacitive buttons which you can stick to touch screens by means of tiny suction cups
I have put 6 of these buttons on my touch screen and can now without looking at the screen (ie by feel only) adjust temperature ,turn on and off front and rear windscreen heaters etc

​

I do agree with you that there are some important features that are not possible to handle blindely with this interface. my solution to that would be a different Stearing wheels with MORE buttons on it. At best they would be programmable to different actions, like all the climate controll stuff. Or Air suspension settings or whatever you can think of, play a certain playlist, call a number, pick up the phone, turn off traction controll...

After all this is just an enhancement to their current design. I just think that the 3 buttons and 2 thumbwheels are not enough as you have to change their functions while driving wich also doesn't work blind.

 

[Blurry_Eyed]

I think this might be of some interest so I am re posting a message that was previously shown in TMC

Physical Buttons for touch screen

There are a number of us "more mature" owners who would like to see a few physical buttons on the control panel although I appreciate it is not likely to happen

Here is a partial solution at least A company called Steelseries make small physical capacitive buttons which you can stick to touch screens by means of tiny suction cups
I have put 6 of these buttons on my touch screen and can now without looking at the screen (ie by feel only) adjust temperature ,turn on and off front and rear windscreen heaters etc


​

Visited the website and it looks very interesting. It would be really nice if they could make a clear button, rather than a black one, so you could see the screen under the button. Anyone know of a place that does a clear button?

 

[ToddRLockwood]

The Model S has simply got the best user interface of any vehicle, and it keeps getting better. Tesla has hired some of the most talented UI engineers in the industry and it shows. Every time I drive an unfamiliar rental car, I realize how bad most automotive UI really is. Try to use the radio in an unfamiliar car. Often, you have to read the manual. Tesla and Apple have a similar conviction about UI: you should be able to operate the interface without the manual. Good UI minimizes the number of operator levels — most readily seen in the difference between Mac and Windows. No, Tesla has done it remarkably well.

 

[iffatall]

... It would be really nice if they could make a clear button, rather than a black one, so you could see the screen under the button. Anyone know of a place that does a clear button?

Isn't that effectively going to be a touch button? Similar to the A/C On/Off button we already have?

 

[jcaspar]

I am reminded of this every time I drive my mom's CLS55AMG. It has has a terrible interface that can take a minute to do what can be accomplished on the Tesla in 2 seconds. It also is not very aesthetically pleasing with the numerous buttons and knobs.

The Model S has simply got the best user interface of any vehicle, and it keeps getting better. Tesla has hired some of the most talented UI engineers in the industry and it shows. Every time I drive an unfamiliar rental car, I realize how bad most automotive UI really is. Try to use the radio in an unfamiliar car. Often, you have to read the manual. Tesla and Apple have a similar conviction about UI: you should be able to operate the interface without the manual. Good UI minimizes the number of operator levels — most readily seen in the difference between Mac and Windows. No, Tesla has done it remarkably well.

 

[flashflood]

I am reminded of this every time I drive my mom's CLS55AMG. It has has a terrible interface that can't take a minute to so what can be accomplished on the Tesla in 2 seconds. It also is not very aesthetically pleasing with the numerous buttons and knobs.

I had the same experience with a 2014 Lexus SUV. I took my trusty old 1998 Lexus GS400 in for service, and got the SUV as a loaner. The UI is absolutely the worst I've ever seen. You can tell that every single function was designed by a different team. The fonts and graphic styles are all different, the organization is insane, and you have to navigate its incomprehensible menus with a combination of mouse (more like a flat joystick -- not sure what to call it) movements, mouse clicks, mouse buttons, touch screen, and sometimes back-arrow. The mouse is hyper-sensitive, and scoots away from whatever you try to click, which makes it hard to use while parked and completely impossible to use while driving. It is so awful that I would never even consider buying that car -- none of its other virtues even matter.

It's amazing to me that giant car companies will work so hard to build a solid platform, fast engine, smooth ride -- and then not be willing to pay a single competent UI engineer to make the thing pleasant to operate. Just staggering. If I had designed any other part of that otherwise fine vehicle, I think my head would explode with anger at what the UI team did to it.

The UI in the Model S is to all previous cars as the original iPhone was to all previous smartphones. It is revolutionary in its simplicity, and it will only get better.

 

[tliving]

All it takes is one good UX designer to work with Tesla on the interface.

...


I love my Tesla, but the UX is not to par (Tesla should hire a good UX team to help).

I agree here, but I think there's also a different problem: the people making the UI/UX don't own/drive a Tesla Model S. There's no way the people responsible for making the interface for the car could possibly be driving it with some of the oddities in the interface. Just look at the USB music interface. That was designed on a bench with some basic QA. Nobody actually used it. More on that rant here:

Playing music from USB in the Model S | Tesla Living

I think Elon needs to get every UI/UX person working there at a senior level a Model S. If not, perhaps rotate them through 6 months at a time or something. And software engineers aren't cheap, especially in CA, but as others said you don't need more than a couple to fix some of the low hanging fruit.

Seriously, shuffle is 1 line of code in some programming languages...

 

[jerry33]

I agree here, but I think there's also a different problem: the people making the UI/UX don't own/drive a Tesla Model S. There's no way the people responsible for making the interface for the car could possibly be driving it with some of the oddities in the interface. Just look at the USB music interface. That was designed on a bench with some basic QA. Nobody actually used it.

That sounds a lot like every piece of software I've used (including the stuff I write).

 

[gaswalla]

My solid inside source says 6.0 is rolling out to beta testers this week.

 

[AlMc]

My solid inside source says 6.0 is rolling out to beta testers this week.

Good to hear. Maybe in response to some of the 5.12 problems some were having.

 

[liuping]

My solid inside source says 6.0 is rolling out to beta testers this week.

I thought Elon said it was going out for public beta test over a month ago...

If they are just starting beta now, it's still most likely months away.

 

[iffatall]

My solid inside source says 6.0 is rolling out to beta testers this week.

I thought Elon said it was going out for public beta test over a month ago...

I thought beta test was ongoing since February.

If they are just starting beta now, it's still most likely months away.

+1. I guess 'v6 release alongside X' does not sound like a joke any more.

 

[AlMc]

My solid inside source says 6.0 is rolling out to beta testers this week.

I found this on another thread. If true, it has been in Beta testing for some time. http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...ll-be-Released?p=701863&viewfull=1#post701863

 

[Gizmotoy]

I'd be surprised if some haven't had it for awhile. The Tesla Road Trip cars had it, and apparently the cars at ReFuel this weekend had it. Maybe they keep running into issues with it, who knows, but I really hope it's not just going out for testing now.