The author describes driving in heavy rain and noticing many vehicles lacked tail lights, not due to forgetfulness but confusing car light iconography. Two main settings exist: 'regular driving' for night and low visibility, and 'parking' which only activates front lights at half brightness, leaving tail lights off. The UI icons are arbitrary and not intuitive, making it hard to distinguish settings without prior knowledge.
In some cars, stalk-mounted controls add complexity with multiple functions like high beams and turn signals. Interior feedback is identical in both modes—dashboard lights up and front lights activate—so drivers can't tell if tail lights are on, especially in daytime rain. The confusion leads people to turn on lights but select the wrong mode.
The author extends this to broader trends in icon-only interfaces, citing Apple’s shift to symbolic keyboards and iOS buttons, where labels like 'Return' and 'Done' are replaced with icons, reducing clarity. This echoes Dmitry Fadeyev’s idea of 'false simplicity,' where icon-only designs appear clean but increase cognitive load and usability issues, particularly in critical situations like driving in poor weather.
Fuente: Hacker News · Resumido por HeadlinesBriefing