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Resist the Dark Forces: 12 Types of Dark Patterns
Coined by Harry Brignull, dark patterns describe intentional UX tricks designed to lure users into taking actions they might not otherwise agree to, such as presenting them with incomplete information or misleading buttons to endorse purchases.
It is only fitting Medium is my first example:
Why are they more important to know now than ever?
Here’s a tidbit of recent news unless you really don’t care about details:
Senators… introduced a bill, called the Deceptive Experiences To Online Users Reduction (DETOUR) Act… [which] makes it illegal for large, public online services of more than 100 million monthly active users to “design, modify, or manipulate a user interface with the purpose or substantial effect of obscuring, subverting, or impairing user autonomy, decision-making, or choice to obtain consent or user data.”
…See what I did there? That was confirmshaming, one of the 12 dark pattern types. You felt guilty skipping it without a scan. This is the same way those annoying pop-ups try to get you to opt-in for something you don’t want with a shamefully worded opt-out.
If you are a regular internet user, no matter what sites or apps you use, I can guarantee you have been manipulated by all 12 dark pattern types. Before we start, take a look at this chart.
Consider this a moral compass for the rest of this article. You will leave this article awake to the highly manipulative and unethical dark patterns of our digital world.
