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Warning!
Digital Magicians, Dark patterns in UX/UI design are the sneaky little devils of the digital realm. They're like the mischievous gremlins that try to lead you astray. But hey, we're here to spill the cosmic beans. So, without further ado, here's a crash course on dark patterns, no specific examples included (but trust us, they're out there):
Dark patterns (also known as a "deceptive design pattern") in UX/UI are
the Darth Vaders of digital design. They're intentionally deceptive or misleading elements woven into digital interfaces, all with one goal in mind: to dupe
Crafted with the finesse of a galactic con artist, these design choices exploit quirks in human psychology, essentially tricking users for the benefit of the designer or company.
Research:
Research employing dark patterns has uncovered anti-privacy practises on social media in 2016 and 2017. 2018 saw the release of "Deceived by Design," a report by the Norwegian Consumer Council (Forbrukerrådet) on misleading user interface designs by Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. A 2019 study looked into 11,000 ecommerce websites' policies. It found a total of 1818 dark patterns and categorised them into 15 groups.
Legality:
A user's informed consent to the processing of their personal information must be clear, freely provided, and particular to each use of the information, according to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in the European Union. This is meant to prevent attempts to force users to unknowingly consent to all data processing by default, which is against the law.
Dark patterns are still widely exploited in the market, according to recent research from April 2022, which emphasises the need for more public, academic, and regulatory monitoring of these practises.
These tricks can come in many nefarious forms. There's misdirection, where they'll lead your attention astray. Hidden costs, lurking like a ninja in the checkout process. Forced continuity, making it feel like an escape room you didn't sign up for, and many more dark arts.
Conclusion:
It's important to remember that employing these tactics can lead to a death spiral of trust and reputation. On some planets, it might even land you in hot space water legally. That's why it's not just good advice, it's intergalactic law to design with honesty, empathy, and a healthy respect for the user's autonomy.
Extras:
Harry BRIGNULL talks about those Dark Patterns more in-depth in his book "Deceptive Patterns"
Below, you can find a link to his website
But now that we've laid down the law, what else can this guide unravel for you?
Ressources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_pattern#cite_note-22
https://petsymposium.org/popets/2016/popets-2016-0038.php
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