Common dark patterns

Dark patterns are deceptive user interface designs that trick users into making unintended decisions, often benefiting the business at the user's expense. These manipulative designs appear in various forms, from hidden costs that only reveal themselves at checkout to forced continuity subscriptions that are difficult to cancel. Misdirection techniques deliberately focus users' attention on one thing to distract from another, while confirmshaming uses guilt-inducing language to discourage certain actions. Such patterns frequently emerge when teams are incentivized to optimize for singular metrics like conversion rates or sign-ups without considering the broader impact.^[1] Research shows that 11% shopping websites employ at least one dark pattern.^[2]

While dark patterns might temporarily boost metrics, they ultimately damage user trust and brand reputation. Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward building ethical products that genuinely serve users rather than exploit them.