Poor design is a broad canon, but is rarely more visible than in the human interface of motor vehicles (cars and bikes both). Here, the growth in electronic ‘features’ has long since overtaken a focus on actually getting from A to B (and onwards) with a modicum of of safety and with at least the potential for maintaining whatever peace of mind with which you started the journey. And that process has accelerated since human interface design got taken over by corporates with apparently zero understanding of (or interest in) the process of driving or riding, but with a marketing-driven emphasis on creating chargeable new features.
In my case, I’ve been driving a Tesla for the last five years, so have plenty to say on that subject (and will), but today’s issue is courtesy of Polestar, and one which falls under the bad design headings of ‘Gratuitous Reinvention’ and ‘Consequences’. And, of all things, it’s a failing from an attempt to reinvent one of the oldest tools created by our species: the mirror.
Continue reading The Golden Age of Lousy Design #1: Polestar 4