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Do not underestimate the humble button (55)

Keys, Screen, Go

Last week, I found myself in a car ride for a company trip. When I first received the keys to the vehicle our company had leased for us, I was happy to see a modern car with a large touch screen. Considering that we were going to a foreign country, having a map and GPS system would come in handy.

However, the dominance of the screen quickly became a nuisance. At some point in the ride, a colleague complained of the air quality. She asked the driver to turn off the air re circulation, to get some fresh air in the cabin. The driver was unable to do so! All options were available through the menu ... yet navigating the user interface meant taking the eyes of the screen to search for the option buried under layers of menus.

Wait, where is my button?

That small moment forced me to reflect on my expectations as a car driver and passenger and the design assumptions baked into modern cars. Sure, a touch screen signals that the vehicle is up-to-date. It promises tech-savviness: GPS, seamless phone pairing, even over-the-air updates.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a straight upgrade from the trusty physical button.

Buttons offer a far more “human” interaction model. You don’t just see them — you feel them. They provide immediate haptic feedback. They’re always in the same place, unaffected by software updates. If one breaks, it can be repaired or replaced individually. That’s why aircraft cockpits still rely on buttons: even in smoke or high-stress situations, pilots can rely on muscle memory to find what they need.

The design of the future

So then, why abandon the button? It’s true that the screen offers considerable advantages, especially for manufacturers. It’s a standardized component that replaces numerous buttons across different car models. It allows designers to add new features that business development requests, and it can even be updated remotely in case anyone changes their minds. From the automotive industry's perspective, it seems like a win-win.

Of course, user interface trade-offs don’t exist in a vacuum; they evolve alongside cultural expectations. Given time, some users may grow nostalgic for buttons. Old things often become cool again. But despite the appeal of nostalgia, the benefits of touch interfaces are too significant to ignore. Perhaps an optimal balance can be found—by reintroducing buttons in premium vehicles (and where safety is critical), while keeping the sturdy, easy-to-manufacture touch screen in models aimed at cost-sensitive consumers. 

The coming years will be fascinating as we rethink car design from the ground up—with electrification, automation, and new interaction models converging, let’s hope we don’t end up with digital-age 'horseless carriages,' but with truly thoughtful, human-centered machines.


 

 

 

Comments

  1. HipthiJune 8, 2025 at 10:15 PM

    But, what it if screen fails,without the alternative of the button?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. New PhaistosJune 11, 2025 at 11:40 AM

      I am afraid then the car will have to be serviced ;)

      Delete

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