dark patterns

UX

DARK PATTERNS

OR tactics to manipulate users into becoming customers more quickly and to spend more

Here are some words you need to know

Digital lanscape = digital environment;Overall experience = general knowlegde; Customer centricity = customer is your #1 target; Drive up = increase; Alert = warning; Sneak into = get into without getting caught; Disguised = hidden; Rack up = collect; Guilt into OR corner into = force to do something; Opt out = cancel; Prevent from = stopped from happening; Discourage from = persuade not to do something.

types

confirmshaming

Roach Motel

hotel poachers

sneak into a basket

privacy zuckering

trick question

types

made-you-look notifications

hidden cost

FRIEND SPAM

misdirection

disguised aDs

bait & switch

FORCED CONTINUITY

definitions

Roach Motel

Hotel poachers

Confirmshaming

It’s a design that makes it easy for users to buy a product or service, by automatically charging a subscription, but comparatively difficult for them to opt out.

It’s when users get a series of alerts or banner warnings that the room or experience they are looking to book is selling out fast. It pressures customers into making decisions they wouldn’t make in different circumstances.

It’s when an option to decline an offer is worded in such a way to guilt the user into compliance. It’s used to discourage users from opting out from a service or an add-on.

DEFINITIONS

Sneak into a basket

Privacy Zuckering

Trick question

You buy something online and when you get to the checkout you see that an item has been automatically added to your basket. It is often written in a smaller font.

You are tricked into answering a question in a way you don’t intend to. When you read a question quickly, you think it means one thing, but in reality, it is different.

You are tricked into sharing more personal information that you intend to. Websites/platforms usually do this by making privacy settings too difficult to understand and control.

DEFINITIONS

Made-you-look notifications

Hidden cost

Friend spam

You discover some additional charges such as delivery or tax only when you get to the final stage of the checkout.

The product asks for your email or social media permissions under the pretence it will be used for a desirable outcome (e.g. finding friends), but then spams all your contacts in a message that claims to be from you.

More often you come across it in the apps. which have the tendency to notify the user about unread messages or missed calls.

Definitions

Misderection

Disguised ads

Bait & Switch

Adverts that are disguised as other kinds of content or navigation, in order to get you to click on them.

You set out to do one thing, but a different, undesirable thing happens instead. This pattern is when a user is looking to take an action that results in a desired outcome, but instead ends up resulting in something completely unforeseen.

The design purposefully focuses your attention on one thing in order to distract your attention from another.

DEFINITIONS Forced continuity

Found on a large number of subscription based websites that give out free trial, Forced Continuity is a dark pattern in which the user signs up for a free trial but has to enter their credit card details. When the trial ends, they start getting charged. There’s no opportunity to opt out, no reminder, and no easy way to cancel the automatic charging of their credit card.

Video

Some companies use design to trick, mislead, confuse or tire users (for the company's own benefit). These are called design patterns.Design is very much psychological: We create compositions containing typography, colors, wording and more with the goal of guiding the user through our content. Now that is powerful. So powerful in fact that it can be done immorally. Instead of guiding the user to help them, we can mislead the user to purely help ourselves and our business. There is no definitive answer in terms of what's a dark pattern but the examples in this video should shed some light on what to avoid doing as a designer. What are your thoughts on dark patterns?

Video 2

"UX design is a dish best served honestly."Do you agree?

Questions

Which of the dark patterns have you been a victim of?

Think about the last company guilted you into buying something. What was it?

Have you wanted to only subscribe for a trial period but had to share your bank information without the opportunity to opt out?

What can companies do to make sure their UX design is smoother and doesn't trick users?

questions

Can you think of companies whose websites/apps have seamless UX design? What about those with frustrating design?

Have you ever been discouraged from buying a product/service because of bad UX design?