Jennifer Brace is a User Interface Engineer for Ford, which means that how people interact with the controls for the systems in their Ford vehicle is very important to here. She walked us through the various ways that MyFord Touch^® will soon be faster, simpler and better, demonstrating the upgrades and enhancements at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Click here to see all of the Ford stories form the show.

The new touch-screen interface features simpler graphics and controls that are easier to use. Customers will also experience significantly faster touch-screen response times, one of the top requests from owners.

New features include support for tablet devices and Audible.com audiobooks, improved navigation maps and enhanced voice recognition interaction

These MyFord Touch upgrades will launch first on the new 2013 Ford Escape, Flex and Taurus. Also, owners located in the U.S. will be mailed a USB flash drive with the software upgrade for installation that they can do at their convenience. If they prefer, owners may also visit their local Ford or Lincoln dealer for the software installation. The upgrade mailing will include instructions informing owners how to simply plug the USB flash drive into the MyFord Touch Media Hub’s USB port in order for installation to automatically begin. These upgrades are offered at no charge to existing MyFord Touch owners.

Since MyFord launched, Ford has held four customer clinics in which hundreds of owners talked directly to Ford engineers about their experiences with the new technology. Owner feedback was clear and consistent, revealing that MyFord Touch was a key purchase reason. While owners reported that they love the system, there were distinct areas where they wanted improvements. Earlier this year, Ford started delivering on their requests, beginning with more instructions and information on how to best utilize the capabilities of the system.

Ford launched two programs modeled after what consumers experience when purchasing a new electronic device. First, the company added a new MyFord Touch owner support website featuring how-to videos at syncmyride.com. Second, free “SYNC My Ride” personalized training sessions for new owners are now offered through Ford dealers – scheduled at customers’ convenience.

The visual enhancements to MyFord Touch are based on simplifying the graphics with larger, bolder fonts, removing low-priority visual content, and designing screens based on a consistent pattern. More than 1,000 screens in total have been updated with the improved look.

The new fonts are as much as 40 percent larger on some redesigned screens. The fonts also are wider and bolder to provide easier legibility, particularly among the rapidly increasing number of drivers age 60 and older.

Ford also took the opportunity to update the performance of the system and add new features for customers to help them keep pace with the fast-moving consumer electronics market.

Faster touch-screen response time, for example, was a key request from owners. Initial testing shows that touch and voice response is at least two times faster than the current system.

Visit ford.com for more information on MyFord Touch.