Forget the Models, Your Data is the Secret Sauc e for Generative AI (2024-02-21)

Visual Design for Safety

I drive a Tesla Model Y and love it. They're not for everyone and not for every situation, but I think it's the best car I've owned. My wife feels the same way, and if we had a need for two cars, we'd likely get another one. The car is fun, and I look forward to getting in and moving around town. If you have questions about owning an EV or a Model Y, please feel free to ask.

The car isn't perfect, and there are things I wish I could change. There have also been a few recalls on the car, which is interesting for a Tesla. A few of these recalls meant that I got a software update a few days or weeks later and something changed. There was another recall recently, which affects most Tesla vehicles in the US. I'm sure that by the time you read this, I'll have a software update applied and the issue will be resolved.

Update: A couple days after I wrote this, I got an over-the-air update, which fixed this.

This particular recall was because a font was too small. That might seem like a minor thing, but as someone who needs reading glasses all the time, I do think this is an issue. In fact, I appreciated that Tesla sent an update in 2023 that let me set all font sizes larger on all screens. I wish they were slightly larger, and I wish they'd check the UI for a few things as the text is cut off in minor places, but I can usually squint while driving and make out what's there.

I also keep reading glasses permanently in the car in case I really need to grab them and see something.

Many of us work with data, and we may build reports (or edit them) to help our customers consume data and make decisions. Hopefully, some of you have learned how important good visual design is to creating an impact with your reports. Even if you report on something as simple as uptime, the way you showcase the data makes an impression on those who consume them. In case you're sending your boss a message, I hope you want to ensure he or she receives the same impression you want to send. Remember, communication is what is heard, not said.

There are lots of resources out there about visual design, and lots of places where you can ask questions about what you've done and see if someone has hints or ideas to create a better presentation for your data.

We're lucky in the digital world in that we can adjust the way things appear easily, and relatively cheaply. Imagine if Tesla had created a dedicated sensor to let us know about a brake issue. If that were too small, the recall wouldn't be a software update. It would likely be hundreds of thousands of hours lost on a simple design correction.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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