Some user experience problems.

2024 Toyota Prius Gear Shifter

The design of the Prius gear shift mechanism is, in my opinion, completely counter-intuitive. It requires the user to pull the lever back to move forward and push it forward to move backward. This completely contradicts established user expectations and violates the Consistency and Standards rule, which states that interfaces should follow familiar rules. Traditional gear shift levers conform to the intuitive mental model of pushing forward to move forward and pulling back to move backward. By reversing this pattern, the Prius design can lead to confusion and user error, and can reduce ease of use. This design also violates the User Control and Freedom rule, as users may unintentionally select the wrong gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended manner.

Mini Cooper's Taillights

The taillights of Mini Cooper vehicles have a design inspired by the British flag, underlining their British brand identity. However, this stylistic choice results in a counter-intuitive visual: When illuminated, the left taillight appears to point an arrow to the right, while the right taillight appears to point an arrow to the left. This violates the Error Prevention rule, which can confuse other drivers following the vehicle. The primary function of taillights is to clearly communicate vehicle movements, and a design that allows for potential misinterpretation can lead to safety risks.

These design choices prioritize aesthetics or unconventional mechanics at the expense of intuitive usability. The Prius gear lever disrupts learned driving behaviors, while the Mini Cooper taillights create critical ambiguity in the communication system. I believe that addressing these usability concerns is absolutely essential to improving the user experience and increasing overall safety.