Designing interfaces from the outside in

User interfaces are a pet peeve of mine.

I’m one of those people whose VCR always blinked 12:00. Not because I couldn’t figure it out but because I resented that I had to.

Basically, I have neither the time nor the inclination to read manuals. If I’m paying good money for a consumer-facing product then it better not require an engineering degree to use it.

Not surprisingly, then, I think UI design is every bit as important as product; maybe even more so. Because if your user experience sucks, make no mistake; I will be walking and talking to your competitors.

It wasn’t until I entered the glamorous world of software development that I came to the following conclusion: Interfaces are complicated because development tools require an engineer (or similarly brilliant individual) to use them.

Of course this is a sweeping statement and I’ll gladly debate it but the point is this: Someone with unique skills and knowledge about user-centric design should be creating interfaces. Not someone who knows the product from the inside out.

I know in a traditional model this can create a lot of churn but companies like Crank Software have come up with a way to decouple the roles of embedded engineer and UI designer, allowing them to work in parallel while focusing on their individual core competencies.

I spoke to several members of the QNX concept development team when they were heavily embroiled in creating the latest technology concept car. It was obvious when talking to the engineers and the UI designers that Crank’s Storyboard made both jobs that much easier and the process a whole lot quicker. The end result, achieved in a very short time frame, speaks for itself.

This is great news for people like me who curse like sailors whenever using a remote, microwave, GPS, treadmill, camera, and so on. Indeed, I'm counting on teams like QNX and Crank to ensure the digital car is an enjoyable and intuitive  experience. If not, I do know who I'm gonna call.

Day four of CES: The home stretch

We all thought that day four would be a lot less busy and it was, however, we still had people waiting for a demo up until the dying minutes of the show.

The day opened with a video shoot by Brian Cooley - one of my favorite interviewers. This man can distill a complex technology down to the basics after a 10 minute briefing. And he can shoot a video in one take. Impressive.

Brian Cooley dropped by to do a spot for CNET. I really admire his ability to distill complicated subjects into very digestible bits.

Dr. Phil once again. Only this time he is in the soundproof booth, ready to wow everyone with a the first-ever HD stereo video call in the car.

Delphi had a beautiful QNX-based system in an Audio A7. Everything was gorgeous, responsive, and flawless.

One of the really cool things about the Delphi system was the theater seating in the back seat. Why watch a movie anywhere else?

Andrew Poliak, director of business development, did booth duty whenever not in meetings.

Day three of CES: Almost too exciting

Day three was interesting in that we had too many VIPs to see the Bentley at the same time: Tanner Foust, Thorsten Heins, and high-level execs from both Mercedes and Porsche. All had a good long look and chat inside the Bentley. I won't tell you which ones had to wait. ;-)

Nice problem to have, I know... but a little stressful nonetheless. (You never want to turn people away.) Of course everything worked out just fine. Better than fine, really.

Thorsten was very gracious and took the time to shake hands with all QNX employees. Tanner Foust (whom I did not know before the show) patiently posed for pictures with those QNX employees who were more informed than me about his star status.

Thorsten Heins (RIM CEO) had a good long chat with his buddy, Dan Dodge (QNX CEO).

Race car driver, Tanner Foust, drifted into the booth to see what QNX was all about. Here he is with Justin Moon from the concept development team.

Kerry Johnson, manager of automotive product management, pinch hit between meetings with customers, press, and analysts.


Victor Marques took his job on the show floor as seriously as he does when in the office.

Day two of CES - QNX, Harman, and Vipers, oh my!

Day two came and went very fast. It felt as frantic as day one. I did manage to leave the north hall though... only to find the center hall to be just as intense. Maybe even more so. It had booths the size of city blocks. Maybe even bigger; certainly louder.

I somehow found Harman International. And I was not disappointed. There were at least four demos sporting QNX technology.

QNX CAR 2 was on display and in full form in the Harman booth. Nice to see the QNX logo so prominently displayed.


Closer look at different display in the same demo system. This 3D map from Elektrobit just never gets old.


Harman again. QNX again. This is almost embarrassing! ;-)


Harman and QNX and Vipers, oh my!


I managed to get permission to poke my head into the car. The digital instrument cluster was gorgeous.


The Viper's infotainment system was just as beautiful. Note to my boyfriend: I do believe this car is currently shipping.


The QNX booth staff, including biz dev manager Emil Dautovic, were hard at work once again. Although how hard can it be to talk to nice people all day? Maybe if there were more chairs...


Of course we knew our latest concept car would be a hit but we weren't exactly expecting the mob scene that it was again on day two.


Joe Cusumano, automotive field applications engineer, in conversation.


Linda Campbell, director of QNX strategic alliances, was her usual tireless self.


Our inimitable automotive field applications engineer Dan Baergen.


And our very own Dr. Phil, mastermind of the QNX acoustics processing and noise cancellation products.

Full-duplex in the car? Who even knows what this means?

I know lots of people don't understand full-duplex. Hell, I think most people have never even heard of it. Unfortunately, these same people have repeatedly experienced its poor cousin — half-duplex — without really understanding either.

Please don't take me wrong. I'm not patronizing. I spent a few years in telecoms and barely understand it myself. What I do know is that half-duplex = bad. And that full-duplex = good.

So when I talked to my colleagues at the office today, I knew we were using half-duplex. How did I know? I started to say something and so did someone else at the other end of the line. I couldn't hear them talking while I was talking (a certain amount of latency adds to the circus) so I stopped talking... and so did they. Then there were lots of simultaneous barely-understood apologies and a long uncomfortable silence. Then we both tried to break the silence at the same time; more uncomfortable silence. Very awkward and distracting. I know you know what I mean.

So... um... could someone please fix this? I mean, we send people to the moon after all.

I hate to blow our own (proverbial) horn (well sometimes) but believe me, I have to. QNX has THE best audio technology solution in or out of the car. And this technology, just so happens to be in the new QNX technology concept car at CES. Yes, really!

Today I witnessed a conversation in the QNX booth between someone in the Bentley and someone in a sound-proof booth. Well, to my (sheer) delight, one person talked while the other person talked over him... and both heard the other! Just like a real face-to-face conversation with overlapping dialogue. It was so natural, it almost slipped by as if it were expected:



In a world where communication is more often than not at the root of all successes and failures, I think this is nothing short of a long-overdue miracle.

Day one of CES — so far so great!

The QNX booth was like a mob scene. I think Phil Hetherington, senior director of the QNX acoustics group, hit the nail on the head when he said, "it's like a mosh pit in here." (He meant it in a good way. ;-)

I'm so proud and happy for the guys who spent their Christmas vacation working on the car. People are absolutely clamoring over each other to see it. I think there were more pictures taken of the Bentley than of the attractive talents in all other booths combined.

CES is a show like no other. Even as I write this I know I am missing something exciting on the show floor.

So with this in mind, I bid everyone adieu. I'll get some more shots today.



One of three demos in the Elektrobit booth (3220 North), showcasing the QNX CAR application platform.


Another example of what happens when you put two world-class suppliers together — Elektrobit and QNX, of course.


This demo replicates an impressive infotainment unit created for Audi using the QNX CAR application platform and EB street director.


EB street director and QNX CAR application platform — up close and personal.


Such an honor to be recognized again at this year's CES show!


Solowheel was a big hit! It's a gyro-stabilized electric unicycle that can be used as you would an electric bicycle. www.solowheel.com


Shooting our own video was really challenging as it was so hard to get 5 minutes in the Bentley. When we did, we still couldn't keep people away from the car!


Alexandre James, from the QNX concept design team, moved smoothly from software developer to company spokesperson.


Mark Rigley, concept design team lead, looked a lot more refreshed than he did last week when the car was still in a work in progress.


It seemed almost everyone wanted to capture the excitement of the new QNX technology concept car. Here's Andy Gryc, the perennial spokesperson, giving one of many demos throughout the day.


While the Bentley Continental was the bell of the CES ball, the Jeep Wrangler (2012 QNX reference vehicle) still did the job of capturing people's interest.


Sheridan Ethier, the hard-working manager of the QNX CAR engineering team, talked nonstop about the technology that he and his engineering group create.