In today's era of surging digitalization, the automotive industry is undergoing unprecedented profound changes. Cars have gradually transformed from simple means of transportation to intelligent mobile spaces that integrate cutting-edge technology and diverse experiences. Among them, automotive interaction design has undoubtedly become the core focus of this change. It is like a bridge that closely connects drivers and passengers with the various complex functions of the vehicle, and profoundly reshapes every perception and interaction of people during the driving journey.

New observations on interactive experience: Young people prefer visual ones, while older people prefer control ones

From the perspective of overall user preferences, "comfort" undoubtedly occupies a crucial position, with up to 85% of users paying more attention to interactive experience. Control interaction also received high attention, accounting for 78%.

From the perspective of generational differences, those before 70 focus more on control and visual interactive experience, and their attention in these two dimensions is 7.3% and 6.2% higher than the overall average, respectively. Older people have stronger demands and expectations for vehicle control performance and visual presentation effects.

In sharp contrast are the young people, especially those born in the 1990s and 1995s. Their attention to control interactive functions is significantly lower than the average. However, they show a higher preference for visual interactive experiences, which fully reflects that the younger generation pays more attention to the visual experience presented inside and outside the vehicle when using the car, such as the aesthetics of the interior design and the on-board display. The visual effects of the screen and the visual presentation of various lighting systems, etc., have become important factors that affect their evaluation of the car interactive experience.

Comfortable interaction: audio-linked ambient lighting becomes a new favorite among young and emerging brand users

There is a clear polarization in users' preferences for interactive functions related to car comfort. Traditional interactive functions have received considerable attention from users. Among them, the seat function has become the focus of users due to its key characteristics related to driving comfort, accounting for 83% of the attention. The intelligent air-conditioning blowing function has also attracted much attention. With its advantages such as being able to intelligently adjust the air outlet mode and temperature according to the in-car environment and the needs of the driver and passengers, it has attracted the attention of 71% of users. In addition, the window sun protection function plays an indispensable role in ensuring a comfortable driving environment in the car, and has also attracted the attention of 70% of users.

However, in sharp contrast, the emerging interactive functions are not as popular as they used to be. For example, the rear multi-function screen has a variety of expansion functions and can be used for entertainment, office and other purposes, but the user attention is less than 40%. As a relatively new design, the threshold lifting function has certain potential in improving the convenience and uniqueness of the vehicle, but only less than 40% of users show interest in it. Although the audio linkage atmosphere light function can create a unique audio-visual atmosphere in the car, the attention of the overall user group is not at an ideal level.

Based on their long-term driving habits and emphasis on traditional comfort, the older user group shows a higher preference for the traditional interactive functions mentioned above. In their many years of driving or riding experience, they have deeply realized the importance of traditional functions such as seat comfort, air conditioning adjustment convenience and window sun protection effectiveness to the overall driving experience, so when choosing a vehicle, they will take these factors as important considerations.

In contrast, the young and new power brand user groups have shown a special love for the emerging function of audio linkage atmosphere light. Driven by young users' pursuit of personalization, fashion and unique driving experience, the dynamic and atmospheric in-car environment created by the audio-linked ambient lighting function just meets their aesthetics and needs. Among them, young users pay attention to this function for 31%, while users of new power brands have increased this proportion to 32%, highlighting the importance of this function in the minds of these two user groups.

Control interaction: Personality is the most important thing, and young people pay more attention to the design of the steering wheel and door switch control

Among the many control functions, three functions stand out and attract the most attention from users, namely, mobile phone remote control of the car, smart screen design, and voice recognition control. These three functions are outstanding in terms of user attention, accounting for nearly 60%.

Among the car buyers, the preference for mobile phone remote control of the car by the post-70s/80s group reached 64%, and the user group with a budget of 350,000-500,000 increased this proportion to 68%. This may be closely related to the lifestyle, consumption concept and demand for intelligent vehicle control of these two groups. They tend to pay more attention to the convenience and intelligence of vehicle control, and the mobile phone remote control function can just meet their many demands in this regard, such as remote starting of the vehicle, adjusting the temperature in the car in advance, etc., thus providing them with a more comfortable and convenient car experience.

In terms of preference for control methods, older people show a clear preference for the function of voice recognition control of vehicles. As people age, they may prefer a more convenient control method that does not require too much manual operation during driving, and the voice recognition control function can just meet this demand. Through simple voice commands, various control behaviors such as adjusting volume, switching radio stations, setting navigation, etc. can be achieved, which greatly improves the convenience and safety of driving.

Young people, especially those born after 1995, who are full of vitality and personality, have unique characteristics in their preferences for control functions. They pay much more attention to the two functions of steering wheel design and door switch control than other groups. For young people, the steering wheel is not only a tool for controlling the steering of the vehicle, but also an important element to show personality and driving experience. A beautifully designed, ergonomic and unique steering wheel can greatly enhance their driving pleasure. Similarly, door switch control is not just a simple opening and closing action for them, but an important part of the overall convenience and personalized experience of the vehicle. Therefore, for car companies, if they hope to win the favor of young users, they need to invest more energy in the design of the steering wheel and door switch control, and conduct in-depth research on the aesthetic concepts, usage habits and personalized needs of young groups, so as to create products that better meet their expectations and enhance the competitiveness of their products in the young market.

Visual interaction: front/tail light effects, in-car projection, and ambient lighting effects are becoming new favorites among young people

In the field of automotive visual interaction, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and HUD head-up display stand out. Among them, ADAS has a high degree of attention, accounting for 76%. As an intelligent system that can effectively improve driving safety and convenience, it provides drivers with a more intelligent and safe driving experience through a series of functions such as adaptive cruise, lane keeping, and automatic emergency braking. Therefore, it occupies an important position in the minds of users.

HUD head-up display is also highly anticipated, accounting for 64%. This function can project key driving data such as vehicle speed and navigation information directly to the front of the driver's field of vision, so that the driver does not need to frequently look down at the dashboard or central control screen, greatly improving the efficiency and safety of information acquisition during driving.

From a generational perspective, the older the user is, the more attention he or she pays to the two functions of ADAS and HUD head-up display. This may be because older users pay more attention to driving safety in their long-term driving career, and the functional characteristics of ADAS and HUD head-up display can just meet their needs in this regard.

From the perspective of budget, users with a budget of RMB 200,000 to RMB 350,000 pay the most attention to ADAS functions, accounting for 81%. This group often considers vehicle safety and intelligent configuration as important factors when purchasing a car, and the ADAS system, with its rich and advanced functions, has become the key to meeting their needs.

In sharp contrast to the above situation is the young user group, who show unique preferences in visual interaction. Young users pay much more attention to functions such as headlight/taillight dynamic effects, in-car projection, and ambient light effects than other groups. For young users, a car is not just a means of transportation, but also a carrier to show personality and taste. The cool visual effects created by the headlight/taillight dynamic effects can attract everyone's attention when driving at night and highlight the unique charm of the vehicle; the in-car projection function provides them with a richer and more diverse entertainment experience, which can conveniently project the content on the mobile phone or other devices onto the in-car screen; the ambient light effect can create a variety of emotional in-car environments according to different driving scenarios or personal preferences, and enhance the overall driving experience.

Summarize

Looking ahead, automakers need to gain accurate insights into the differences in preferences among different generations and budget groups, which is the key to success in the field of automotive interaction design. Chinese automakers are actively exploring this aspect and have reaped rich rewards. They optimize the control and visual interaction experience for older users, and create more personalized visual effects and control designs for young users, such as innovative lighting effects and convenient screen projection functions. At the same time, they continue to improve emerging interactive functions, promote the development of automotive interaction design in a more personalized and intelligent direction, meet diverse needs, stand out in the fiercely competitive automotive market, and make automotive interaction a key factor in improving user satisfaction and brand competitiveness, leading the automotive industry into a new era of greater intelligence, comfort and personalization.