Sinister UX: How to Recognize and Avoid Dark UX Patterns

UX design is all about creating a fantastic user experience — but it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Even this inherently user-friendly industry has a dark side, and these deceptive design patterns are more prevalent than you might think.

Last year, user experience design agency Sigma called out big-brand retailers for using sneaky design tactics to get customers to spend more money. Among those named and shamed were Amazon, fashion retailer Boohoo.com, electronics giant Currys PC World, and Etsy.

So what exactly is dark UX? First of all, it’s important to understand the difference between bad UX and dark UX. As Sigma explains, “Dark patterns are not at all poor design by mere negligence. They are intended to persuade and dissuade customers in ways that benefit the brand rather than the user.”

Unlike accidentally bad UX, dark UX is a deliberate design tactic. At the time, the user isn’t necessarily aware that they’re having a “bad” user experience, but in reality, the website or product hasn’t been designed to benefit them or put their needs first.

What does dark UX look like?

Dark UX patterns are basically any design elements that subtly push the user in a certain direction — a direction they didn’t really intend to take. This could be adding unnecessary extras to their shopping basket, unwittingly subscribing to a newsletter or handing over excessive personal data. Rather than designing with genuine user empathy, dark UX prioritizes the company’s own goals.

One common trick is to order the information on the page in such a way that fools the user into thinking they need to make additional purchases in order to proceed. Imagine you are booking a hotel: you’ve chosen your accommodation and just want to check out. However, the “next” button is nowhere to be seen; the only options you can find are to add a hire car or to upgrade to a deluxe room. Of course, the button you want is hiding right at the bottom of the page.

Another classic example of dark UX: designing a link or button in such a way that makes it seem unclickable. Based on common UX and UI patterns, if we see something greyed out, we immediately assume that it cannot be clicked. In many cases, we don’t even try — and just like that, we are deterred from taking certain actions, such as unsubscribing. Likewise, highlighting certain information can draw the user’s eye to what looks like the best deal, but actually isn’t.

Design can also be used to apply scare tactics. During their investigation, Sigma found that certain online retailers featured eye-catching banners informing the user of limited-time offers; however, several visits to the site revealed that these “great deals” were, in fact, still up for grabs after the specified end date.

Words can also be misleading. Unscrupulous designers may use confusing copy to befuddle the user — especially when it comes to opt-in or out check-boxes. The user-friendly solution would be to offer the user two clear, simple options: “sign me up” or “no thanks”. A dark UX tactic would be to use complicated, round-the-houses descriptions for each option, leaving the user utterly perplexed as to which box they should tick.

In a nutshell, dark UX takes everything we ever learned about the psychology of human-centered design and uses it against the user.

Why use dark UX tactics?

There’s a simple reason why brands employ dark UX tactics. They want to nudge the user towards — or away from — certain actions in order to drive sales, gather more data or bump up their email lists.

This may not seem like a bad move in the short-term, but it can actually lead to some serious long-term damage for the brand. If you are found to be using deliberately deceptive design tactics, any trust your users had in your brand will be instantly shattered. But even if you don’t get caught, dark UX tactics will ultimately lead to the demise of your brand reputation.

If you prioritize quick wins over creating a genuinely valuable user experience, it won’t be long before your customers catch on. Sneaky UX design is frustrating; it leads the user on a confusing journey, rather than guiding them seamlessly from A to B. As consumers grow increasingly aware of these underhand techniques, brands who continue to use them will be dismissed as unethical — and you can be sure that the user will take their trust and loyalty elsewhere.

User-first design wins every time

With consumer trust at an all-time low, building trust through UX design is more crucial than ever — and it makes sense for business too. Over the last ten years alone, design-driven businesses have outperformed the stock market by 228%.

As a UX designer, you have a responsibility towards both the brand and the user. It is your job to create unbeatable user experiences — experiences that are transparent and unambiguous, making it easy for the user to take the course of action they had indeed set out to take.

In doing so, you ensure positive associations with the brand. This builds trust, making it much more likely that the user will return in the future. In the long run, this is much more sustainable — and valuable — than the short-term boosts you might get from dark design patterns.

About the author:

Emily Stevens. Originally from England, Emily moved to Berlin after studying French and German at university. When she’s not writing for CareerFoundry, she can be found travelling, hula-hooping or reading a good book.