The effects of gender differences on the usability of automotive on-board navigation systems – A comparison of 2D and 3D display

• This study integrated gender with the interface of car navigation systems (CNSs) to analyze the usability of CNS interfaces.
• A combination of gender and the interface dimension design affects CNS objective usability.
• Gender differences affect CNS objective and subjective usability.
• Differences in operational performance between the two gender groups were less using 2D interface than using 3D interface.
• Different interface designs of CNS brands affect CNS objective usability.

This study integrated gender with the user interface of automotive on-board navigation systems to analyze whether gender differences or 2D (2 dimensional) vs. 3D (3 dimensional) display affect the interface usability of an on-board car navigation system (CNS). An experimental design was adopted for collecting data from three tasks – locating points, planning routes, and searching polygons – each emphasizing a different aspect of way-finding. The participants reported their subjective usability via the System Usability Scale after each trial. Study results show that gender, the CNS interface the subject used, and a combination of both predict the usability of an on-board CNS. This study’s results provide a clearer understanding of whether manufacturers should develop interfaces that fit a CNS 2D or 3D display based on gender.