Physical controls are back because drivers are fed up with it

The tech world—including the automotive industry—seems to be going through a “rebuttoning” phase. While touchscreens remain a staple feature of car interiors, automakers are re-examining the value of physical controls as drivers rediscover the importance of them. After all, driving is one of those areas where practicality and safety require simplicity. But what drove the change in design philosophy? “

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Button’s Counterattack

Rachel Plotnick, an associate professor at Indiana University Bloomington known as the “Master of the Button,” has been studying this tactile renaissance for years. as author The Power Button: Joy, Panic, and the History of Pushing Politics (2018), Plotnick explores the psychology and cultural history of buttons and their enduring role in technology. Today, she’s helping companies refine their interfaces, balancing the digital with the tactile.

during an interview spectrumPlotnick was asked about the factors driving the “re-buttoning of consumer devices,” a trend that is becoming increasingly evident in automotive interiors. Expert response:

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“Maybe it’s screen fatigue. We spend days and nights on these devices, scrolling or constantly flipping through pages and videos, and it’s tiring. In a way, buttons may be a way to make our daily lives easier In an almost de-technical way, that’s not to say buttons don’t work well with screens – they’re often partners, but in a way it takes away the priority of sight as a sense and recognizes the screen. Not always the best way to interact with things.”

In the automotive world, this criticism is justified. Plotnik emphasized that touchscreens can be unsafe in certain situations because they require visual attention to operate, which the driver simply cannot ignore. In contrast, physical controls offer “simplicity that limits our range of choices” and allows for intuitive operation without taking attention away from the road.

(Some) automakers finally get it

To their credit, many automakers are starting to recognize the limitations of touchscreens, or, let’s be honest, the pitfalls of cost-cutting measures that eliminate physical controls in favor of screens, all thanks to growing consumer backlash. Physical buttons, switches and knobs for basic functions like climate control and volume adjustment are making a comeback.

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The controls are being rescued from the maze of infotainment menus and restored to where they belong: on the center console. Likewise, the short-lived experiment with touch-sensitive “tactile” buttons (see Volkswagen) – which were neither truly tactile nor user-friendly – are being quietly phased out in favor of more traditional alternatives.

More: Has touchscreen technology gone too far? Euro NCAP thinks so

Still, touchscreens aren’t going away. Plotnik believes that physical buttons and touch screens are not mutually exclusive, but complementary: “There is a desire for physical buttons because you don’t always have to look at them — when you’re not looking at them, you can grope for them “I don’t want to focus on them directly, but also because they provide a wider range of tactility and feedback. “This type of tactile feedback is particularly valuable in driving environments, where instinctive interactions are safer and more efficient.

Smarter interface balancing

Experts concluded that the best approach is to combine different types of interfaces based on their intended use and the specific needs of each scenario.

Rather than abandoning touch screens entirely, the industry can and should adopt a hybrid approach, pairing physical controls with digital interfaces where appropriate. Basic functions like adjusting the temperature or switching the headlights are best managed via tactile buttons and dials. At the same time, less time-sensitive tasks, such as navigation and entertainment, can be kept on the touch screen because they make the most sense.

However, not all automakers are moving in this direction. Tesla, a pioneer in stripping physical controls from its interiors, continues to ramp up its efforts toward a touchscreen-centric approach. In fact, the most recent update goes even further and does away with the shifter entirely.

With any luck, as society moves beyond the “touchscreen mania” of recent years, this more thoughtful approach to automotive interior design will take hold, focusing more on usability and safety than a fleeting trend.