The incidental passenger

In previous posts, I discussed the phenomenon of the incidental user – incidental users are people who are not users in the traditional sense and they’re often overlooked in the design process of systems used to provide a service to customers. In the cases I mentioned so far, the incidental use scenario had to do with a computer monitor – but passengers riding in a car often fall into the same category. Some passengers are receiving a service in the traditional sense (e.g., taxis) but anyone who’s in a car, whether paying for the ride or not, is receiving a form of service (usually getting from one place to another).

Modern cars are increasingly loaded with systems that provide information and entertainment (also referred to as In-Vehicle Information Systems –IVIS). While both important and beneficial to drivers, these systems may distract them from their primary task (driving), but could be of benefit passengers. Currently, automobile dashboard design is heavily (and understandably) driver-focused – some of the information provided is necessary for purposes of driving, so the driver has to be able to see it. But how about sharing some of the information that’s already there with the passenger? GPSs show distance from the destination and other layers of information. What if passengers could know what they’re seeing out the window and approximately how much time or distance is left to their destination? Would it make passengers feel more involved in the trip and less bored? Would it help inspire trust or make the passenger feel a greater sense of control? Would it reduce driver distraction caused by passengers?

Below are examples of two dashboards’ design: The new Chrysler 200c concept car, with its iPhone-inspired user-interface, is an example for an interface that is clearly directed toward the driver, both in terms of visibility and in terms of control. On the other hand, the Mini’s dashboard central display, with its exceptionally large central speedometer (that is visible to both front and back seat passengers), makes the information transparent and sends a clear “I have nothing to hide” message to the passengers.

Chrysler 200cc concept car

Mini

Passengers of the Maybach luxury limousine, (who are being chauffeured) are presented with an extra speedometer in the passenger compartment, in addition to dials for time of day and outside temperature.

Maybach

Similarly, taxi passengers using Boston Cab’s Dispatch service are treated to “Passenger Information Monitors” that enable them to view details of the current trip: “The Passenger Information Monitor (PIM) provides the passenger with real-time mapping to track their journey. Passengers can choose to view maps at scales ranging from street level to regional, allowing passenger to view either their surrounding streets or a complete track of their journey.” (www.creativemobiletech.com/solutions/freedom.html).

Sharing information with these taxi passengers could reduce their need to directly interact with the driver and therefore reduce driver’s distraction and overcome possible language barriers, while improving their overall experience. It would be interesting to hear passengers’ reactions to the PIM and to see more automobile manufacturers adopt similar ideas in the future.