13/05/2026
When I was in University, my interior design professor explained to us that touchscreens would never be optimal for car interiors, because car controls needed to be operated without even looking at them, held firmly, and provide solid tactile feedback. Hence the use of k***s, buttons and sliders, with the reassuring, solid click of the controls in premium German cars setting standards for decades.
Since then, everything has changed: today, the car is no longer just a means of transportation, but a complex digital environment in which infotainment, driver assistance systems, connectivity and entertainment coexist.
Several factors have contributed to this paradigm shift: on the one hand, the entry of IT giants (first Google and Apple, then Huawei, Xiaomi, and other Chinese brands) into the car has brought new in-car services based on fully digital interfaces. On the other hand, the arrival of new generations of digital natives, as well as the raising of new markets determining new global trends: first and foremost the Chinese market, where multimedia is an absolute priority, over vehicle performance itself.
Therefore, in recent years, many manufacturers have focused on increasingly technologically advanced interiors, often dominated by large displays: initially just a large screen in the center console, then additional screens dedicated to driving information, to the front passenger and even to rear passengers, all accompanied by the almost total elimination of physical controls.
This evolution has radically transformed interior design, but at the same time has introduced a new and increasingly debated issue: cognitive overload.
The term identifies a condition in which the brain receives an excessive amount of stimuli, information, and decisions to process simultaneously. In the automotive context, the problem stems primarily from the proliferation of screens, notifications, touch menus, and multifunction interfaces that constantly demand the driver's attention.
While this approach creates a modern and futuristic image, it can also increase cognitive load and potential distractions while driving. Simple actions like adjusting the climate control or selecting driving modes can require multiple digital steps, forcing the driver to divert their attention from the road.
It's not just a question of safety, but also of psychological comfort. A cockpit saturated with visual information, animations, dynamic lighting, and secondary functions can generate mental fatigue, reducing the feeling of control and tranquillity.
For this reason, an emerging trend in some concept cars is rediscovering the value of simplicity, embracing the concept of "human-centered design" based on the real cognitive capabilities of human beings. Ergonomics, careful interface design based on visual hierarchy, the reduction of superfluous elements, and the selective return to physical controls are marking a partial reversal of an increase in complexity that seemed irreversible.
After so many years, I think back to my university professor's words and find them still absolutely relevant: the context has changed completely in the meantime, but at the heart of everything remains the interaction between humans and machines and how the user can control that interaction.
The future of automotive interiors will therefore depend not only on the amount of integrated
technology, but on the ability to make that technology usable, intuitive, and natural. In this context, disciplines such as UX/UI Design are destined to become increasingly central, integrating multidisciplinary skills such as ergonomics, psychology, programming, and design.
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Written and edited by M. Tonin - A. Aru