ISBN : 9782296117075
WHO IS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT? THE CAR/DRIVER INTERFACE
David L. Tucker1
From the earliest horseless carriages to the latest computer assisted vehicles, automobiles
have symbolically communicated their underlying technology through an outer
aesthetic. This aesthetic may communicate speed, safety, quality or other characteristics
that reflect the owner's tastes, preferences, interests and status. With world
resources shrinking, sustainability and efficiency, rather than power and performance,
are new messages that must be incorporated into automotive design. By better understanding
what successful designs communicate, it may be possible to develop new
aesthetic messages to promote more environmentally friendly vehicles. In this brief
paper I will argue that these messages are most successfully communicated when the
outer aesthetic clearly and accurately expresses the intent of the underlying technology
through a consistent and visually coherent design statement