Operating the windshield wipers on a car can be one of the least intuitive aspects about driving a vehicle. Often the lever is tucked behind the steering wheel, with tiny writing and symbols that are impossible to decipher while driving. In certain climates, wipers are used so infrequently, it can be a scramble for some to figure out how to operate them while driving.
Designer Claire Puginier has re-conceptualized the operating system behind one of the car's most essential, yet infrequently used features. Instead of turning one's windshield wipers on with a hard-to-find, clumsily placed knob or lever, she has placed them front and center on the steering wheel. With a bold yet sleek design, Puginier's new dials are placed just above where one should grip the wheel. The left dial controls the back windshield wipers and the right controls the front. To use, the dial is twisted away from the driver (once for windshield wiper fluid and beyond for varying degrees of wiper speed).
Should this concept be used in the future of car manufacturing, it might simplify an irritating (albeit minimally intrusive) aspect of operating a car.
Steering Wheel Windshield Controls
Claire Puginier Redesigned Windshield Wipers for Ease of Use
Trend Themes
1. Steering Wheel Windshield Controls - Designing new and innovative ways to control car features can open up markets and encourage car redesigns.
2. Rethinking Car Controls for Safety - Innovative and simplified car controls can lead to safer driving experiences and less distracted driving.
3. User Experience-based Car Design - Improving users' experiences with car controls and features can lead to a competitive edge in the car manufacturing industry.
Industry Implications
1. Auto Manufacturing - Incorporating innovative control designs into car interiors can lead to a competitive edge and increased market share in the automobile industry.
2. Technology Design - Collaborations between car makers and technology designers could result in innovative and user-friendly control designs.
3. Consumer Goods and Retail - The introduction of new car control technologies could lead to the creation of new consumer goods and retail industries, including aftermarket car upgrades and accessories.