ATTENTION

Design description for visual alert:

For our design, when a driver has a new email, a notification box appears on the touch screen console. This symbol appears on the top right of the screen, which is closest within the driver’s reach. There is also a little red bubble with a number in the top right corner of the icon so that the driver can see there are other email notifications. Within the visual alert, there is information about who the sender is and the subject of the email. This allows the driver to discern whether or not the email needs to be opened right as they receive it.

Design description for a way to access the content:

We included a down pointing arrow to indicate that this notification can be opened and has more content than what appears on the screen. The user uses Fitts’s Law to swipe down on the screen starting from the edge. This is a very easy action with a large and close target for drivers to quickly activate without having to lose too much eye contact with their surroundings. When a driver is driving and it isn't safe to check emails, we have disabled this action for their safety. A bright yellow pop up modal will appear and remind users that the vehicle must be stopped in order to complete their desired action.

When a user swipes down on the email notification, the icon expands to a simplified version of an email inbox. They can view the desired email on the right side of the screen, closest to them, as well as see other emails in their inbox, which include details like the sender and the subject. There are also standard email icons like the one reply arrow and the double forward arrow in the top right of the screen, which makes it easy and safe for a driver to click on one of them to complete their desired reaction.