Hidden interface controls that affect usability

(interactions.acm.org)

559 points cxr | 1 comments | 05 Jul 25 23:10 UTC | HN request time: 0.267s | source

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temporallobe ◴[06 Jul 25 00:32 UTC] No.44476722[source]▶

My car’s audio system seems to go out of its way to bury sound settings (bass, treble, balance, etc.) in as many nested menus as possible. And when you do finally find the settings, they are greyed out. I had to actually watch a youtube video to figure out that they are configured at the individual source level. Super confusing and unintuitive, and especially egregious considering that this is in a vehicle you are DRIVING - confusion, distraction, and frustration are the last things you want drivers to experience.

replies(1): >>44476759 #

pipe2devnull ◴[06 Jul 25 00:41 UTC] No.44476759[source]▶

>>44476722 #

I would argue though you shouldn’t be messing with treble and bass settings while you are driving.

replies(5): >>44476859 #>>44476922 #>>44477049 #>>44477288 #>>44477889 #

1. vel0city ◴[06 Jul 25 01:01 UTC] No.44476859[source]▶

>>44476759 #

I fully agree with you on this. If the car is moving you shouldn't really do anything more than previous/next/volume. And of those they should be on the steering wheel.

You want to mess with your equalizer, do it when stopped. IDGAF if it's dozens of physical buttons and knobs and sliders or hidden in menus; you're supposed to be driving not mastering an audio file.

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