Localization vs. Internationalization:

THE WORKSHOP

 

International surveys tend to collect data on attitudes, values and behaviors towards a specific topic from users from multiple countries. This allows for obtaining an insight on the differences and similarities across nations, cultures or geo-political structures. At the same time, it provides data for making demographic comparisons on a larger scale beyond the local characteristics of a specific population. Consequently, international surveys provide important information about the diversity of the user’s needs, values and preferences, which have to be taken into consideration when creating products and services as widely used as the personal automobile. With the help of international surveys, it possible to learn more about the specifics and characteristics of wider communities.

However, none of these actions have addressed specific questions towards automotive user-interfaces:

 

• The needs, personal preferences, or attitudes of the general population towards them

• Their perceived usability, usefulness, their effect on trust, safety, and,

• Their design – what, how, and where to display information in manually operated and automated vehicles.

Given the name and research area the AutoUI conference covers, this workshop aims to close this gap by initiating a survey on automotive user interfaces on a global scale. It will follow the example set by Jeon et al., and try to expand to a wider audience and address the state-of-the-art available technologies that have been developed in the decade since their survey.

The workshop will, therefore, focus on the design and development of an international survey. First, it will try to identify the most important aspects related to automotive user interfaces that this survey would like to collect data for. It will also prepare a strategy for its international distribution (based on the workshop participant’s interest for collaboration) and prepare a plan for comprehensive data collection. Lastly, it will try to outline venues and communication channels for the survey dissemination, with the goal of achieving wide visibility.