This paper explores the emerging landscape of automotive user experience focusing on distinct approaches of Western and East Asian car manufacturers. The study utilizes Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to analyze potential UX differences in both cultures, highlighting the emphasis on autonomy and reward system in Western culture and consensus and cooperative approach in East Asian cultures in design consideration. The paper compares Tesla models and various Chinese manufactured car brands to explore features such as facial recognition, voice interaction, UI aesthetic, and revealing both cultural influences and a potential for globalization.
While acknowledging limitations of Hofstede’s framework, this study focuses on the importance of safety alongside any cultural considerations in automotive user experience. The research concludes by advocating for a holistic approach to automotive user experience that priortizes safety, cultural insights, and ultimately leading to a globally usable driving experience.
The past decade has shown a strong shift in the global automotive industry, with the United States and China emerging as the undisputed leaders. While the US market provides established giants like Tesla in which they are leading the way in UX optimization, China's automotive industry is also advancing with its new technological implementations.
While the car technology advancement has led to additional use of devices that is associated with a car such as connecting to smartphones and other wearable devices, this paper will solely focus on the main touch-screen interface located inside the car. Hence, this study will focus on the world of cross-cultural automotive UX, specifically focusing on the Western industries and East Asian car industries.
For example, USA and China are two distinct cultural environments – shaped by Hofstede's influential dimensions such as power distance, long-term vs. short-term orientation, and masculinity-femininity – Therefore, this research aims to discover the unique differences in each cultures automotive UX regarding navigations, safety, usercentered design, tone and explore a potential of globallyusable experience that prioritizes the user’s safety.
The automotive industry is undergoing a radical transformation driven by technological advancements as electric vehicles are becoming the norm for most drivers, and car interiors are being redesigned into large, smart touchscreens. These interfaces provide numerous of features; from controlling temperature, entertainment systems, monitoring vehicle information and even unlocking doors. However, these advanced implementations should not overshadow the potential safety risks.
As author Mohamed et al. (2016) states in his article, safety is the top priority when designing car user interfaces in order to let drivers enjoy new implementations and features. One of those implementation include auto-pilot feature for drivers; while promising a more relaxed driving experience, it requires careful consideration by designers and engineers.
A recent CBS News report highlighted this concern, citing nearly 400 car crashes involving driver-assistance systems in the span of 10 months in 2022. To be specific, 392 of these incidents involved Tesla vehicles (manufactured in the USA), while 100 were linked to Honda and Subaru (manufactured in Japan). The report further cites concerns raised by author Zhanhang regarding a rise in fatal crashes related to autonomous driving in China during 2022.
These statistics shows that we need enhanced safety measures across the board, encompassing both Western and East Asian car manufacturers. This is mainly due to how designers mental model and user’s mental model differs from each other.
Author Mohamed et al. (2016) implies that mismatch often occurs between designer’s mental model and user’s mental model which leads to causing problems and confusions for the user.
By prioritizing improved user experience design, we can create intuitive and clear interfaces that minimize driver distraction. Implementing well-designed signifiers and feedback mechanisms can further enhance safety by providing drivers with real-time information about system status.
This study will make use of Geert Hofstede's theory of cultural dimensions to gain insight into the ways in which Western culture and East culture differ in their approaches to interface design. There are several aspects in Hofstede's scale that point to a particular cultural characteristic; however, the focus of this study is on individualism & collectivism and masculinity & femininity dimensions, which are relevant to interface design. East Asian civilizations, like China, are regarded as collectivist societies as they tend to base decisions more on what is widespread or popular than their own personal preferences.
Western societies, including the United States, are individualist societies where people take ownership of their choices and care more about personal well-being. While East Asian cultures are more consensus-oriented and emphasize on cooperation, the United States is perceived as a masculine nation as they focus more on achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and materialism.
As a result, interfaces from Western-cultured nations mostly emphasize on autonomy and reward systems, whereas those from East Asian cultures emphasize consensus and cooperative designs.
To learn about the current state of automotive UX in western culture, this study will concentrate on the Tesla Model 3, which according to author Parkhurst et al. (2019) is the best-selling automobile and sold over 138,000 units in 2018. Parkhurst et al. (2019) conducted a heuristic evaluation of the Tesla Model 3 interface based on the Nielsen Norman Group's 10 usability heuristics. Their analysis identified potential design issues in several areas:
User Control and Freedom: The placement of "cancel" buttons being placed in the top left corner might be inconvenient for drivers to reach while driving the car.
Match Between System and the Real World: Inconsistency between the physical volume control on the steering wheel (up/down) and the on-screen volume indicator (left/right) could lead to driver confusion.
Help and Documentation: The absence of a traditional search function within the interface might lead to a challenge for users seeking specific information. While a search function may not be necessary since users spend most of the time driving, alternative solutions like voiceactivated search could be explored in this situation.
Recognition rather than recall: Tesla models are locked automatically when driver steps away from the vehicle. In order to turn off the car manually , the user must access the main menu, then go to he “Safety and Security” submenu to locate the “Power off” option. Again, this can be implemented by voice implementation method or adding a turn off button on the screen somewhere on the interface.
The Chinese automotive market has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. Sales figures have skyrocketed and surpassing those of the United States to become the world's largest market since 2009 (Casper, 2020). Casper's report (2020) highlights this surge, with China selling approximat to establish themselves on the global stage, it's intriguing to explore potential differences in their approach to user experience compared to Western manufacturers. Casper has analyzed the user experience of several Chinese car brands and identified several differences from Western automotive UX:
Facial Recognition: A prominent feature in many Chinese cars is a facial recognition technology, used for both unlocking the vehicle and monitoring driver fatigue.
Voice Interaction: Voice-activated controls are becoming increasingly common in global automotive design and Chinese cars are no exception. However, these systems may differ culturally as the voice interaction in China often operates in the background and requires a button press for activation. Additionally, some Chinese systems incorporate anthropomorphic features (eyes, face features).
UI Inspiration: While some Chinese brands have utilized layouts and UI elements similar to established companies like Tesla, this could be interpreted as a starting point for developing their own unique UI design.
Visual Design Aesthetics: Compared to the often minimalist aesthetic of Western automotive UX, Chinese car interfaces may tend towards a more colorful, playful, and modern visual style.
While China's car industry is emerging domestically, Western brands like Tesla continues to hold significant appeal for Chinese consumers, as RIWI (2023) states that Tesla made 6 billion USD in sales in China, doubling its 2019 figures. Additionally, a two-year consumer survey conducted by RIWI in 2019 among 9,000 participants showed consistent positive brand perception for Tesla, with over two-thirds of respondents recommending the brand to others.
These observations suggest that a culture often described as collectivistic and feminine like China, are receptive to user experiences designed by masculine and individualistic cultures like the United States. However, it's important to note that RIWI’s survey may not represent the broader Chinese market and Hofstede’s dimensions such as individualism and collectivism are complex and preferences can vary.
Overall, further research is needed to explore the connection between different cultures to see if there is an actual conflict when it comes to user experience design. Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory may still hold relevance, however, it may need to be considered alongside other factors that influence consumer choices.
While cultural considerations are important when designing for a global audience, prioritizing safety and core automotive user experience elements is crucial. After all, driving demands constant user attention and lives depend on it. This creates a unique challenge for designers: designing usable car navigation systems that are both safe and user-friendly (Mohamed et al., 2016).
One approach to achieve this balance is Kansei Engineering, a design method developed by Japanese engineer Mitsuo Nagamachi which became the best implementation in history during the early 70s (Mohamed et al. 2016). Kansei Engineering bridges the gap between user emotions and product design as users describe their feelings and impressions of car navigation systems, which translates to design specifications.
To understand driver priorities, Beck et al. conducted a study involving 51 participants using an existing automotive system. Through an "affinity diagram analysis," the researchers identified eleven key themes that drivers prioritize with top being the highest priority:
1. Speed control
2. Highway driving aids
3. Engine and transmission controls
4. Navigation and wayfinding
5. Traffic sign and warning recognition
6. Audio system control
7. Accuracy of information displayed on the HeadUp Display (HUD)
8. Customization of information displayed on the HUD based on individual needs and driving context 9. Visibility of information displayed on the HUD
10. Visual aesthetics of the HUD interface
11. Location and layout of the HUD
By considering both cultural preferences and these core user priorities, designers can craft automotive UX that are not only user-friendly but also promote safe driving habits and globally usable automotive screen.
The past decade has seen a strong shift in the global automotive landscape, with the United States and China emerging as the key players. While Tesla leads the indsutry in technology advancement, China’s automotive sector is also rapidly increasing. As car interiors evolving with large touch screens, prioritizing the user safety has become the top prioritiy due to increase in car collisions as the difference between designer and user’s mental models often leads to confusion and potential casualties due to the rising number of car crashes involving new implemented features such as auto-pilot. To address these challenges, its crucial to focus on cultural insights, such as Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to understand how Western and East Asian cultures approach the automotive user experience design differently.
To carefully design usable and safe driving experience, it is crucial to investigate the driver’s top priorities during driving sessions and study Kansei engineering which bridges the gap between user emotions and design specifications to ensure that automotive interfaces resonate with users on an emotional level. As the automotive indsutry continues to evolve, it’s essential to remain vigilant for designers to prioritize cultural differences and driver’s safety. By studying cultural differences and understanding users needs, designers can implement experiences that promotes safe driving habits and globally usable touch screen for all drivers. Further research should explore the complex interplay of different cultures and others factors that influence driver preferences.
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