The thesis is about the different design elements of notifications in infotainment screens and their impact on the drivers in different situations.

Screens are an important part of our everyday lives such as on our phones. Even the most modern cars are cluttered with screens in their interior, which lets us get all of the information and help we can while steering the wheel.
But in some situations they can be a distracting factor that will lead to the driver’s annoyance or even an accident.

The goal of our study was to understand and research the impact notifications have in different cognitive load situations, also known as different difficulty levels. For example: driving through an empty parking lot of a shopping mall takes less attention to maneuver than being stuck in a traffic jam during the rush hour.

In our research, we tried to understand which notification groups (Entertainment, Navigation, Maintenance…) were most distracting for the drivers and which ones weren’t, as well as their usefulness. We looked into the design elements, such as the color palette, the animations of the notifications appearing, the ways that a driver interacts with them and how those elements can be improved and adapted for the driver’s safety and satisfaction.

What the infotainment screens of modern automotive companies lack and could improve upon is the ability of self-customization and adapting to each driver behind the wheel. All people have different preferences and with the help of the ever-evolving Ai, it could recognize the patterns and customize the notification elements to the driver’s liking.