Haunted UX: Dark Patterns & Scary Designs to Avoid
It’s finally spooky season and today we’re sharing the scariest thing we can think of: UX dark patterns. 😱 Dark patterns happen when a page is designed to trick (not treat) end users. But sometimes – like a terrifying poltergeist – they can sneak into your app when you’re not looking and haunt your users.
Grab your #PSL and snuggle in under the covers, because we’re about to get spooky…
Confirmshaming
You’ve probably come across this dark pattern, and now you’ve got a name for it: confirmshaming. This is what happens when you’re being guilted into taking the action the business wants you to take. The business might give you a recommended option with a way out, but the way out often has language that makes you feel bad or conflicted about choosing the option they don’t want you to choose. Don’t toy with your users’ hearts!
Roach Motel
It’s as disgusting as it sounds. This dark pattern is what happens when it’s easy for you to get into a situation (like subscribing to a service), but it’s VERY difficult to get out. Like Hotel California, you can check in any time you like, but you can never leave.
Trick Questions
No treats here, this one is all about the trick. Trick questions fool you into taking an action you don’t want to do or giving information you don’t want to give. Sometimes this could be multiple checkboxes where the first is an opt out, while the next is an opt in. Other times, confusing language is used to misguide the user. No one likes tricks… this Halloween, only give out treats in your app!
Friend Spam
Eek! You may have fallen prey to this one and not even realized it. With this dark pattern, you’re asked to share contact information for what seems like a great reason (finding your friends in the app), but the contacts are actually used for nefarious purposes like spamming them to join the app.
This one is so bad it’s actually illegal: LinkedIn settled a $13 million class action lawsuit after they were found to have violated California law with friend spam in their sign up process.
Hidden Costs
This is where you get to the last step in the checkout process (sometimes even after adding your credit card information or going through a complicated multi-step process) and you’re surprised with new costs that you weren’t told about previously. This tactic is used to make you think something is cheaper than it is, and the complicated process is designed to make you more likely to give up and buy it instead of starting over. Like friend spam, it’s been found to be illegal… hidden costs are actually banned in the UK.
Avoiding Dark Patterns
Even though a lot of these dark patterns are becoming incredibly common, we can choose another path and build trust with end users by being intentional about ethical design. I’ll leave you with a few parting thoughts on how to exorcise bad UX decisions from your app:
- Build empathy with the people who use your app. Really work to understand their problems and perspectives
- Keep human-centered design principles at the forefront of your decision-making process
- Always err on the side of giving end users choice and control
- Think about your blind spots often, and consider the consequences of those blind spots
- Conduct usability research and be mindful of the way people use the product
- Seek opportunities for positive changes in your app
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