14 Dark Patterns Examples in Design You’ll Want to Avoid

Have you ever found yourself doing something you didn't want to do while using an app or website? You're not alone.
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What are Dark Patterns?

Dark patterns are deceptive user interface (UI) design elements crafted to manipulate users into performing actions they wouldn’t normally take. These sneaky tactics are designed to trick users into making decisions that benefit the company, often at the user’s expense. Dark patterns can manifest in various forms, such as hidden costs, forced continuity, disguised ads, and confusing language. They are frequently employed to boost conversions, increase sales, or collect user data without explicit consent. By understanding these manipulative techniques, you can better recognize and avoid them in your own designs.

Why Dark Patterns Matter

Dark patterns matter because they significantly impact user experience and trust. When users encounter dark patterns, they often feel deceived, frustrated, or even betrayed. This erosion of trust can lead to a negative perception of the brand and a reluctance to engage with the company in the future. Additionally, dark patterns can have serious legal implications, as they may violate consumer protection and data privacy laws. Companies that employ dark patterns risk facing fines, penalties, and reputational damage. Therefore, avoiding dark patterns is crucial for maintaining user trust and ensuring compliance with legal standards.

Avoid asking trick questions

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Trick questions are a common example of deceptive patterns. Some products use confusing language to compel users into buying or subscribing to something they don’t want.

For example, it may seem that a checkbox offers to subscribe users to something. The bet is that users will skim the text and make a wrong assumption. In reality, the copy might offer users the option to NOT subscribe, but since they didn’t check the box, they will end up being subscribed against their wishes.

Tricking customers into buying or subscribing to your product won’t make them happy, and it can hurt your business in the long term. Using clear and straightforward language builds trust. Always avoid intricate word combinations and double negatives. Instead, use clear copy so that users can understand what exactly they are signing up for.

Usually, a marked checkbox implies agreement to something, while an unmarked one implies refusal. Follow this logic to avoid misdirecting users.

Sneaking items into users' carts

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Sneaking extra items into a user’s basket is a classic example of a dark UX pattern. During checkout, users want to see what they’re purchasing — no more, no less. Unfortunately, some products and services don’t follow this simple rule. For example, apps and websites might offer goods for free, but once users agree, they’ll add the item to the basket for a price.

Sometimes, this dark pattern may have good intentions. For example, Dutch Royal Airlines adds an extra charge to your flight’s price to compensate for your carbon footprint. But while caring about the environment is noble, allowing users to make a conscious decision is much more beneficial. So what can you do instead?

Provide suggestions and recommendations based on users’ shopping history. When users feel the freedom to choose, they’re more likely to buy the product or at least consider it. Research shows that positive emotions toward a have a significant influence on loyalty.

Provide visible exit options to make users feel in control

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Roach motel is a dark pattern that refers to something that you can quickly get into but can’t easily leave. The analogy comes from the insect trap with the same name. In UX design, a roach motel is a product or service that is very difficult to cancel. For example, an automated monthly subscription that you have to jump through hoops to cancel.

In reality, the more you deter users from leaving when they want to leave, the more determined they become to leave. A much better option is to be honest and provide an easy exit. According to usability heuristics, visible exit options make users feel in control and less frustrated. However, dark patterns work because UX designers are often pressured by management to achieve quick results and meet specific metrics, even if it compromises the ethical responsibility of creating user-friendly interfaces.

Privacy zuckering

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We bet you have a guess where the term privacy zuckering comes from. It was coined after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg following the Facebook privacy scandal in 2018. It came to light that a political consulting firm accessed users’ data without their consent. The data was then used to target political ads on the app during the 2016 presidential campaigns of Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.

Despite subsequent changes to Facebook policy, the term “privacy zuckering” has stuck for good. In general, privacy zuckering means selling personal information semi-legally. For example, by hiding the agreement in the deepest places of the Terms and Conditions document. It also includes tricking users into sharing more information than they intend to, which is a classic example of ux dark patterns.

This dark pattern can also make it difficult for users to find and adjust their privacy settings. For example, a website may require users to navigate through multiple pages or menus to access their privacy settings, making it less likely that they will do so.

Users’ privacy should be your primary goal. Make sure users can easily access the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of your product. Also make sure the documents are written in a clear and straightforward manner.

Pro Tip! Don’t ask users for too much personal information unless your product really needs it.

Price comparison prevention

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To understand how cheap or expensive a product is, we need to compare it to other similar products. Unfortunately, some companies are determined to prevent users from doing so. This tactic is one of the most common dark patterns in UX design. The assumption is that if users can’t compare prices, they won’t realize that a product costs more than elsewhere. Examples of this include not listing price per weight or having too many subscription plans with unclear differences.

Preventing users from comparing prices just causes frustration. It’s true that this dark pattern may trick users into buying a product once. But next time, users will be more likely to buy products and services on more convenient platforms with transparent price policies. So, always allow a fair price comparison.

Provide clear and accurate information based on user needs

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Misdirection is a dark pattern that involves using design elements to distract users from what is actually happening. For example, a website might use a bright, flashy graphic to draw the user’s attention away from important information, such as the fact that they are signing up for a recurring subscription. Misdirection is a manipulative tactic that undermines trust and can lead to customer dissatisfaction. To avoid this, focus on creating clear and honest experiences that prioritize user understanding and consent.

The term dark patterns refers to unethical design practices in UI/UX that manipulate users into making unintended decisions. Misdirection can also be used to make certain options seem more attractive than they actually are. For instance, a website might use design elements to make a particular subscription plan appear to be the most popular or the best value, even though it may not be the right fit for all users. This can lead to users feeling like they have been tricked or misled, which can ultimately harm the reputation of the company. Instead, aim to provide clear and accurate information to users, so that they can make informed decisions based on their needs and preferences.

Avoid hidden costs to lure users in

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Have you ever tried buying cheap tickets or products only to discover hidden fees and taxes at the checkout? Meet the hidden costs dark pattern. The strategy is to lure customers in with low prices. By the time users find out the actual price, they have already invested too much of their time and effort to leave. For example, users might have entered a lot of information and navigated through too many steps. Some users will still finish the checkout when encountering hidden costs, but this will leave them with a bitter taste.

This dark pattern is often paired with deceitful social proof. If you have seen banners like “People also buy < this product> with your item!” or “Items frequently bought together,” you know what we are talking about. It becomes misdirection when apps offer to let you buy this extra item in one click without even showing the price.

The alternative is simple — allow users to make informed decisions. Recent legislation, such as the DETOUR Act, aims to eliminate these dark patterns, focusing on online businesses with significant user bases. This act highlights the importance of user autonomy and transparent consent in design, and non-compliance can lead to legal penalties, ultimately contributing to online users reduction.

Bait and switch

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The bait and switch dark pattern is about offering one option under the guise of another. The most notorious example was the Microsoft Windows 10 update. After users had chosen to cancel the update and dismissed the pop-up, the system updated anyway, which led to a massive public backlash.

Another example of the bait and switch technique is to offer a cheap or even free product. But there’s a catch, of course. When users get to the checkout, the product turns out to be “out of stock.” Instead, there’s a suggestion to buy another more expensive product or one of lower quality.

Just like other dark patterns, this trick can help you make a profit once. But in the long term, you’ll lose customers. Instead, work on your product quality and marketing strategy to attract your target audience the legitimate way.

Avoid making users feel guilty and experience a fear of missing out

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Confirmshaming is a way of guilt-tripping your potential customers. Think of opt-out buttons like “No thanks, I don’t care about my health” on fitness apps or “No thanks, I don’t like delicious food.” The goal is to elicit the feeling of shame and a fear of missing out. Many newsletters, apps, and websites use this approach to force new users to sign up or prevent existing users from unsubscribing. Dark patterns work because they help UX designers achieve quick results and meet specific metrics, often under pressure from management.

Shame is a powerful emotion that may make users uncomfortable. It can also trigger stress and anxiety. Avoid this dark pattern in your designs and use positive motivation instead.

Disguised ads

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Disguised ads are the chameleons of the marketing world. Their purpose is to adjust and blend with the website or app to match their surroundings. These ads may look like other content or navigation elements so that users accidentally click on them. On social networks, ads can look like friends' posts; on sites with software, fake download buttons can lead to other web pages with ads.

Using disguised ads won't gain your users' trust, so clearly and transparently indicate ads.

Friend spam

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Friend spam is the worst gift you can give your email contacts or social media followers. This dark pattern occurs when an app asks for permission to access your contacts under the guise of giving them some benefits. It results in bombarding your contacts with messages on your

behalf. Such breaches of privacy are often infuriating. In 2015, users sued LinkedIn for succumbing to such practices, and the platform was fined $13 million.

Avoid sending emails or messages to your users' contacts pretending to be them. Instead, use your company name and send users only relevant content that they have signed up for.

Avoid forced continuity to keep users subscribed

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Some products just love to play hide-and-seek with their opt-out option. A common use case is to disguise the Unsubscribe link as plain text. The assumption is that if users can’t find the opt-out option, they’ll stay subscribed. Needless to say, this won’t make users happy.

Dark patterns work because they can lead to short-term growth in user accounts, driven by pressures from management to achieve quick results and meet specific metrics.

We cannot emphasize this enough — let users go if they want to. Instead of forcing them to stay subscribed against their will, work on improving your product. Highlight the benefits your product offers and target the right audience.

Scaremongering

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Have you ever seen ads or pop-ups saying with big bright red letters that your device is at risk unless you download their fantastic software? This is scaremongering, another technique that uses fear and exaggeration to manipulate people into doing something they don't want to.

Even if it may bring some results and manipulate users into taking a particular action, the potential outcomes are much worse, such as:

  • Loss of trust: Scaremongering can erode the trust that users have in a website or product which can lead to less engagement with the product in the future.
  • Damage to reputation: If a company or organization is caught using scaremongering tactics, it can damage their reputation and lead to negative publicity. Users may share their negative experiences on social media or review websites, which can harm the organization's .
  • Legal consequences: In some cases, scaremongering can cross legal boundaries. For example, if a website or product makes false claims about the dangers of not taking a particular action, it can be subject to legal action.

Instead of backing visitors into a corner, make better products and ads. Good quality, relevant content, fair pricing, and efficient customer support will empower users to make their own decisions in favor of your product.

Provide helpful defaults that improve user experience

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Bad defaults are those that don’t benefit users. Common examples include setting the most expensive subscription as default or allowing all notifications. These defaults often benefit the company at the expense of users. Dark patterns work because they can lead to quick results and meet specific metrics, but they compromise the ethical responsibility of creating user-friendly interfaces.

Many users rely on defaults, especially when it comes to complicated features. This means that you can greatly improve user experience by choosing the correct defaults that reduce errors and speed up task completion. Spend some time to determine the best default settings that will benefit both your company and customers.

Best Practices for User Interfaces

To avoid dark patterns and create user-friendly interfaces, designers and developers should adhere to best practices that prioritize transparency, clarity, and user consent. Here are some essential guidelines:

  1. Be Transparent: Clearly disclose all costs, fees, and terms associated with a product or service. Transparency builds trust and helps users make informed decisions.
  2. Use Clear Language: Avoid using confusing or misleading language that may trick users into making unintended decisions. Simple, straightforward language enhances user understanding.
  3. Respect User Consent: Obtain explicit consent from users before collecting their data or using it for marketing purposes. Respecting user consent fosters trust and compliance with privacy laws.
  4. Make Opt-Outs Easy: Provide clear and easy-to-use opt-out options for users who want to cancel a subscription or service. Simplifying the opt-out process reduces frustration and enhances user satisfaction.
  5. Avoid Forced Continuity: Don’t force users to continue a subscription or service without their explicit consent. Allow users to easily cancel or opt-out if they choose to.
  6. Use Intuitive Design: Design interfaces that are intuitive and easy to use, avoiding confusing or misleading elements. An intuitive design improves user experience and reduces errors.

By following these best practices, you can create user interfaces that are transparent, clear, and respectful of user consent, ultimately building trust and fostering long-term success.

Conclusion

Dark patterns are deceptive design elements that can manipulate users into making unintended decisions. They negatively impact user experience, erode trust, and can lead to legal consequences. By adhering to best practices for user interfaces, designers and developers can create transparent, clear, and user-friendly interfaces that prioritize user consent and respect. Avoiding dark patterns not only builds trust with users but also enhances the company’s reputation and drives long-term success. Prioritize ethical design practices to ensure a positive and trustworthy user experience.

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