CDN poll reveals giant touchscreen antipathy

It was glum tidings for giant touchscreen fans at the latest installment of Car Design Dialogues, CDN’s global virtual event, as the majority of the viewers identified the screen as the design trend they would most like to see the back of. In a live poll, CDN pitted giant touchscreens alongside other prevalent design trends: minimalism, SUV/Coupe crossovers, and lightbars. Giant touch screens were the runaway winner, capturing a whopping 60% of the vote. SUV/Coupe crossovers came in a poor second with 21%.

Touchscreens have been at the centre of the general design discussion ever since Tesla went all in. Detractors argue that the screen can be needlessly hard to navigate and purists advocate that certain functions – climate controls, screen demisters – should not be hidden behind a blackscreen.

A clear running theme throughout the Car Design Dialogues Europe event was the idea of being able to digitally detox when in the car. The design team at Tata showcased the Sierra concept, in which air-purifying moss and a wooden “tech shelf” characterise the interior, with the latter featuring a slot for smart phones or devices when necessary.

Screens, and how to apply them through materials, was a key part of the Technology Meets Materials panel discussion, which included Thomas Bouveret, head of interiors for DS. Bouveret explained that DS will remove the black screen from its vehicles over the next four or five years, replacing it with a better integrated system first outlined on the OEM’s Aero Sport Lounge Concept in 2020.

The list would be a very long one to note all the recently launched cars that include giant touchscreens. One of the most noteable, however, is the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQS, which will feature the company’s enormous MBUX Hyperscreen.

For a deep dive into the future of the screen, make sure to read Interior Motives Spring in which we unpick the threads of this ongoing debate.