--- title: "Aston Martin’s ‘Piss-Off Factor’ Is Here to Save Us From Touchscreen Hell" description: "Aston's designers have a phrase for the displeasure of digging through touchscreen menus to turn on a heated seat, and we can all relate." date: "2024-03-26" modified: "2024-03-26" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/aston-martin-interior-metric-factor-touchscreen-induced-anger" categories: - "Aston Martin News" - "Car Tech" - "Infotainment" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Aston Martin" - "luxury" - "sports car" - "Vantage" --- # Aston Martin’s ‘Piss-Off Factor’ Is Here to Save Us From Touchscreen Hell ![]() *Aston Martin Vantage. \Aston Martin\* [Aston Martin]() wants its interiors to be as simple and easy to use as possible to avoid frustrating its demanding clients. The metric by which it judges its interior controls is called the "piss-off factor," and it's almost self-explanatory. If a button, switch, or touchscreen control pisses designers off, it gets ditched. So many modern cabins have features baked into touchscreen infotainment systems, which can often lead to simple controls like seat heating being buried under multiple submenus. While [Tesla]() certainly isn't the only touchscreen-heavy brand these days, it is the one that began the trend of routing most controls through the touchscreen, and Aston doesn't want any part of that. "The big thing for us is to understand how we layer technology into \[a cabin\], and we were looking at the likes of Tesla who have been pioneers," Miles Nurnberger, [Aston Martin's]() design director, told *[CarExpert]()*. "We looked at them and very openly, when we first looked at it, said 'that’s not us.'" ![]() *Aston Martin Vantage. Aston Martin* To decide how to best implement their cars' touchscreens, Aston designers went out and sampled a range of vehicles, using their controls and noting the steps necessary to activate certain functions. Any feature expected to be immediately available that wasn't triggered the "piss-off factor." The new [Vantage]() is a good example of Aston's design philosophy. It has a touchscreen, but it's accompanied by many physical buttons, switches, and knobs. Nurnberger told *CarExpert* that Aston considered moving the seat controls into the touchscreen, but owners said they like to adjust their seat on the move depending on how they're driving, and touchscreen-based settings are cumbersome and unsafe to use on the fly. The same thinking applies to volume and HVAC-related inputs. "That’s the thing about the piss-off factor. When you want it, you want it instantly," said Nurnberger. "If you want to turn the volume up and down, temperature absolutely—the minute you’ve got to go into a screen and tap for temperature, you’ve lost the customer. You’ve lost the experience." Aston is echoing what so many of us have already been saying. I think we can all agree that more button-heavy interiors are preferred. Touchscreens require more mental effort to use while simultaneously offering zero tactile feedback—frustrating at best and downright dangerous at worst. The automaker's approach is a simple and sensible one that the entire industry should follow, especially brands that sell cars most of us can actually afford: if it pisses people off, don't do it. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()