Dark Patterns

Question 1

What are dark patterns?

Answer 1

• Tricks used in website and apps that make you do things that you didn’t mean to
• e.g. buying or signing up for something

Question 2

What are the dark patterns?

Answer 2

• Visual Interference — making things hard for users to see
• Obstruction — friction to make things harder to do a certain thing
• Negative options — default options for users
• Trick questions — confusing language to misguide users
• Ads in disguise — links that look like an interface component

Question 3

Why are dark patterns important?

Answer 3

• Avoidance — in your designs
• Awareness — harder to pull off and damage reputation of companies that use them
• Regulate — establish ethics around usage