A Plea from an Old Guy - Larger FONTS!

[RDuke]

I am an old guy having trouble reading some of the data on the new V7 UI. The font size needs to be enlarged, especially for the Trips app, as well as the newly redesigned Energy display (which I really don't like). Tesla, hope you're listening to your customers.

 

[Bonlaw]

From an old gal. Hear Hear!! And the touch screen apps a bit bigger too.

 

[CliffG]

Like maybe an applet that lets us change fonts within the IC apps, or add to/remove from components in an app - maybe you want more information in the trips display, or change to scale in the power meter, or change the size of the clock and add information to that tile?

 

[mspohr]

I am an old guy having trouble reading some of the data on the new V7 UI. The font size needs to be enlarged, especially for the Trips app, as well as the newly redesigned Energy display (which I really don't like). Tesla, hope you're listening to your customers.

I think the new fonts are larger than the old. I used to have trouble reading time, temperature, etc. but can read them just fine now.
It would be nice to have a "Setting" for font size so that us old geezers could get the large print version.

 

[bonnie]

This is a more than reasonable request. You should be able to read the monitor easily - and I'd hate to see anyone switching to reading glasses while driving .

Everyone needs them eventually, not just 'old geezers'. I'm sure Tesla engineering will see this thread. Pretty standard these days to be able to choose to display in a larger font. Hopefully part of their future validation testing will include 'readability' for various user groups.

 

[Barry]

AGree. Problem is the interface designers are probably 20 and 30-somethings and we're not.

 

[liuping]

+1. Larger font's would be a nice improvement.

 

[dirkhh]

There is an urgent need for review of the UI by a human machine interface expert. I have my doubts that this has been done - many of the changes are the exact opposite of what am HMI expert would suggest.
It's not just bigger fonts - it's about easier to absorb information (or in the case of v7, harder to absorb information). Just one example: the relationship of speed limit, current speed and TACC set speed is trivial to grasp in v6. It takes a lot more effort to figure this out in v7.

 

[JenniferQ]

There is an urgent need for review of the UI by a human machine interface expert. I have my doubts that this has been done - many of the changes are the exact opposite of what am HMI expert would suggest.
It's not just bigger fonts - it's about easier to absorb information (or in the case of v7, harder to absorb information). Just one example: the relationship of speed limit, current speed and TACC set speed is trivial to grasp in v6. It takes a lot more effort to figure this out in v7.

Hm. That's very interesting. I have only had my car a week so didn't have much time to get used to v6, but I love having the speed limit sign, the speed, and the TACC speed right in a little area together where it is now. I can easily see them all in the little grouping as they are now.

 

[Chrigel]

I agree.

 

[tezzla]

Complaints of small fonts have been around for years, they did up the font size back in a 5.x release (but still not enough). I think v7 reverted back to small fonts again.

 

[msnow]

Yes, it would be great if this was configurable. Having said that I still really like 7.0!

 

[trils0n]

The new trip meter has a considerably larger font than the old trip meter. The energy screen in the instrument cluster also has a larger font for the wh/mile average than the old energy screen. Much easier to see. Is it different for autopilot cars?

 

[Electricfan]

Agree 100% - please listen Tesla! Lots of us oldsters need some help here!

 

[msnow]

The new trip meter has a considerably larger font than the old trip meter. The energy screen in the instrument cluster also has a larger font for the wh/mile average than the old energy screen. Much easier to see. Is it different for autopilot cars?

I wasn't really making a distinction between 6.2 and 7.0. For me they both could have benefited from being easier to read. When I did my test drive I had my reading glasses on and it was fine but now that I use it everyday and most times driving with distance only sunglasses I find I have to switch frequently if I need to see something on the 17" screen which doesn't feel safe. In any case it's not a deal breaker. Love the car!!!

 

[trils0n]

I wasn't really making a distinction between 6.2 and 7.0. For me they both could have benefited from being easier to read. When I did my test drive I had my reading glasses on and it was fine but now that I use it everyday and most times driving with distance only sunglasses I find I have to switch frequently if I need to see something on the 17" screen which doesn't feel safe. In any case it's not a deal breaker. Love the car!!!

Ah, ok. That makes sense. Larger font option would definitely be nice (speaking as a young guy with bad eyes). I was happy the font got larger from 6.2 to 7.0.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Font size being configurable is common in a lot of systems, so Tesla definitely should implement this. While stylistically sometimes small fonts "look better," being able to set a larger font for readability reasons should always be an option.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Font size being configurable is common in a lot of systems, so Tesla definitely should implement this. While stylistically sometimes small fonts "look better" but being able to set a larger font for readability reasons should always be an option.

While I totally agree the fonts should be bigger, a fixed UI like this would break when font sizes are dynamically increased. It's not like a web page or browser where all the elements are (or should be) dynamic when font sizes are arbitrarily changed. It would take a fair amount of complex work in the IC to make the fonts change on-the-fly. That said, they could pre-design several fixed "small/medium/large" display options with different font sizes.. so while they're at that, just add in a "Classic IC" design option as well.

 

[SUPRKAR]

I was thinking how crisp the fonts are, now if i could see them from the driving position it would be nice. I am a child at heart, i just can't communicate that to my body..oh well...

Also i miss the day and date display. Put it under the temp, we dont need F or C, date could go there. Other than those two items nice job, looks clean and fresh.

 

[stopcrazypp]

While I totally agree the fonts should be bigger, a fixed UI like this would break when font sizes are dynamically increased. It's not like a web page or browser where all the elements are (or should be) dynamic when font sizes are arbitrarily changed. It would take a fair amount of complex work in the IC to make the fonts change on-the-fly. That said, they could pre-design several fixed "small/medium/large" display options with different font sizes.. so while they're at that, just add in a "Classic IC" design option as well.

There are some tricks you can play with kerning/spacing that allows you to squeeze a larger font into the same space (if you are lazy about making dynamic elements), but kerning/spacing frequently is not adjustable (in the higher levels).

That said, they could pre-design several fixed "small/medium/large" display options with different font sizes.. so while they're at that, just add in a "Classic IC" design option as well.

To make it clear, that's what I'm suggesting, not necessarily an infinitely configurable size. Some presets is the easiest way to implement this (it allows them to also have custom fonts that look "bigger" but take up the same amount of space). I deal with fonts, web, and mobile UI (Android) frequently in my work and know the difficulties of having flexible fonts.