Touchscreens In Cars Are Dangerous: Apple's Ex-Chief Designer Who Designed Ferrari Luce
The former Apple design chief Jony Ive, who recently joined hands with Ferrari to design its first electric vehicle, the Ferrari Luce, has made a controversial statement. Ive has criticised modern car interiors and has stated that calling large touchscreens “lazy, ineffective, and even dangerous.” This comes after Ferrari recently revealed the interior design of the Luce, which will be making its debut next month in May.
Jony Ive, instead of following the industry trend of large and dominating displays, has taken a radically different approach by prioritising physical controls, tactile feedback, and driver engagement with the Ferrari Luce. A lot of people, however, have highlighted that the statement has become controversial because Jony Ive is one of the people who popularised touchscreens with the iPhones.
The statement from Ive that touchscreens are dangerous has been supported by stating that large touchscreens do not work effectively in a car environment. He highlighted that, unlike smartphones, cars operate in dynamic conditions where the driver is constantly in motion and the attention needs to remain on the road.
However, touchscreens require visual confirmation and multiple layers of interaction. Hence, this increases distraction and reduces ease of use while driving. Another bold statement made by Ive is that having too many touchscreens on the dashboard is an “easy and lazy design.”
According to him, many manufacturers rely on screens because they simplify hardware complexity. These screens help them in reducing the need for physical components. However, this comes at the cost of the user experience, intuitive control, and safety, added Ive.
The former Apple lead designer also highlighted that modern touchscreens often require users to navigate through multiple menus, sub-menus, and hidden settings. Ive criticised this by highlighting a key issue that users should never wonder “how many layers deep” they need to go for simple tasks. This creates unnecessary mental effort and distraction.
Lastly, he concluded his points by stating that traditional controls like knobs and buttons provide tactile feedback and muscle memory, and touchscreens lack this. As a result, drivers are forced to look away from the road and interact visually rather than physically. Ive added that he believes this directly impacts safety and engagement.
Recently, Ferrari showcased the interior of the Luce, which will be its first electric vehicle, and its interior has surprised everyone. The Luce features a number of physical buttons, rotary knobs, and toggle switches. These are used for climate control, media functions, and selecting driving modes.
Instead of eliminating screens completely, Ive and the team at Ferrari have combined analogue-style controls and digital displays. This has created a balanced interface, which is both modern and functional. The former Apple designer has also emphasised a clear separation by stating that the steering wheel is for input and the instrument cluster is for output, and the entire cabin is designed around the driving experience first, not aesthetics.
The Ferrari Luce features a steering wheel which has been inspired by classic Ferraris. It features multiple physical buttons and switches, including a driving mode selector. It also gets a 10-inch central display, which is a more focused screen. It comes with physical toggle switches below. Also, there is a 12.5-inch OLED instrument cluster.
Other notable highlights include a dedicated slot for inserting the key, and a visual transformation takes place when the key is activated. It also gets an overhead launch control, which is activated via a pull lever above the driver. And to set high quality standards, the Luce boasts anodised aluminium and high-strength glass, and every component is designed with extreme precision.