Touchscreen car controls (2020): did it need fixing?

They Fixed It / Volkswagen and others

2020

Volkswagen and others

Before: Car dashboards with real knobs and buttons for heat, volume and hazards.
The fix: Moved heating, volume and other basics onto touchscreens and touch-sensitive sliders.
Then: VW's design chief Andreas Mindt said they would 'never, ever make this mistake again.' From 2026, Euro NCAP wants physical controls for horn, indicators, hazards, wipers and SOS to give five stars.

Half took it back

Buttons are coming back model by model, starting with VW's ID.2all.

Your call

Source: etsc.eu

More fixes nobody asked for

2010

Gap

Before: GAP in white letters on a navy blue box, in use for about 20 years.
The fix: Went to 'Gap' in black Helvetica with a small blue square.
Then: The new logo went up October 6, 2010, and the internet hated it on sight. Gap said it had learned 'just how much energy there is around our brand.'

Took it back

Blue box back on October 12, 2010, six days later.

Your call

2016

Kraft Heinz

Before: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, colored orange with artificial dyes.
The fix: Swapped the artificial dyes and preservatives for paprika, annatto and turmeric, and told nobody.
Then: Kraft waited until about 50 million boxes had sold before announcing the change in March 2016. The ad campaign was built on the fact that nobody noticed.

Kept it.

The new recipe stayed.

Your call

2023

Unity Technologies

Before: Unity's game engine, priced by subscription seat, with no charge per install.
The fix: Announced a Runtime Fee charging developers per install once a game passed revenue and install thresholds.
Then: Developers revolted and the stock dropped. Unity rolled back parts of it within weeks, and in September 2024 new CEO Matt Bromberg cancelled it outright.

Took it back

Back to seat pricing, with Pro up 8% and Enterprise up 25%.

Your call