Please Explain Tesla's Interface Choice

[PianoAl]

Can anyone explain why Tesla didn't choose to put the apps in alphabetical order?

Sometimes designers choose to put the most-used icons first, but finding, say, the browser app would be much easier if it were alphabetized. Are these just in random order?

Using alphabetic order was first used about 1,000 BC; is Tesla behind the times?

 

[HenryT]

The UI on the app is also badly designed. For instance, the 'controls' option brings up a graphic of the car which shows control choices in a mixture of 'future state' and 'current state' without any logic at all. The centre of the car roof shows a locked padlock confirming the car is currently locked. Press the icon the car unlocks and then shows an unlocked (open) padlock. Fair enough. However, the bonnet and boot both show 'open' while they are currently closed. Press open and they do open and the icon changes to 'close'.

It's been this way for years but still causes me a double take from time to time, especially after I have had the boot open for a while and get a (late) notification via the app telling me the boot is open 10 minutes after I closed it. Look at the app and then wonder, hang on a minute, does this mean its still open.....

 

[Transformer]

Well, it looks like the top row is apps to support driving, except the dashcam. Don't use the dashcam while driving. The calendar is useful to call up a nav destination, and BTW you can open it by tapping the clock.

The second row is apps to never use while driving. (Hopefully the car will open them only in Park.) Except Spotify, but nobody goes there any more; it's too popular.

The bottom row is audio sources that you can use while driving or parked. Better to have a passenger operate those apps since they take a lot of taps and eyeball time away from the road, esp. the moving ticker song titles and the Back button that starts over again at the top of the list of artists when you're trying to look through each artist's albums.

Within each row, the order may be an internal detail like app hash code. It can't be alphabetical due to localization.

 

[MLXXXp]

Don't use the dashcam while driving.

You can use the dashcam icon while driving. Pressing it while recording is active will save a snapshot of the last 10 minutes. Useful if you're in an accident or just want to save some footage to review later.

 

[SidetrackedSue]

You can use the dashcam icon while driving. Pressing it while recording is active will save a snapshot of the last 10 minutes. Useful if you're in an accident or just want to save some footage to review later.

My reaction when I was reading Transformer's post but by the time I got to the end of it, I realized that whole post was /s.

 

[Transformer]

Plus actual commentary.

And I forgot that the dashcam icon does something else when in Drive.

BTW, as of 2024.14.9, the buttons on the digital twin are labelled "OPEN Frunk" and "OPEN Trunk", fixing the action vs. state confusion.

I asked a chatbot if there's an agreed solution to the state vs. action design problem. The reply was interesting! When it's a binary choice (like locked/unlocked), the recommendation was to show the state. Otherwise (like Start/Pause/Resume playback), the recommendation was to show the action.

 

[OxBrew]

Plus actual commentary.

And I forgot that the dashcam icon does something else when in Drive.

BTW, as of 2024.14.9, the buttons on the digital twin are labelled "OPEN Frunk" and "OPEN Trunk", fixing the action vs. state confusion.

I asked a chatbot if there's an agreed solution to the state vs. action design problem. The reply was interesting! When it's a binary choice (like locked/unlocked), the recommendation was to show the state. Otherwise (like Start/Pause/Resume playback), the recommendation was to show the action.

I think the Frunk not being able to self close messes that logic up.