This talk was given in April 2018 at Leeds Digital Festival (based on a talk originally given at SXSW in 2016). Dark patterns are interfaces designed to trick users into doing something that they were not planning to. Designers should avoid these unethical solutions: This presentation offers ethical and effective alternatives to dark patterns.

1. DARK TIMES
FOR DARK PATTERNS
#LeedsDigi18
Senior UX Designer
Cyber-Duck
@CrVigano
CRISTINA VIGANÒ

2. DARK TIMES
FOR DARK PATTERNS
Senior UX Designer
Cyber-Duck
@CrVigano
CRISTINA VIGANÒ
#LeedsDigi18

3. Dark patterns are interfaces
designed to trick users into taking
actions they may not choose
otherwise.
– UX Companion

4. ryanair.com, July 2015

6. HOW TO IDENTIFY
DARK PATTERNS

8. HANLON’S RAZOR

9. – Hanlon’s Razor
“Never attribute to malice that
which can be adequately
explained by stupidity.”

10. alistapart.com/article/design-white-lies-ethics

11. alistapart.com/article/design-white-lies-ethics

12. WHITE LIES

13. – Dan Turner
White lies should move the
user toward their desired outcome.
alistapart.com/article/design-white-lies-ethics

14. SocietyUserDesigner / Business
Evil
Commercial
Motivational
Charitable
Ryanair
Evil by Design, Chris Nodder, evilbydesign.info
Selfish Altruistic

15. WHAT ALTERNATIVES
DO WE HAVE?

16. – UX Companion
Persuasive design:
Designing interactions to influence the
behaviour and decisions of users.

17. WWF - Marketing campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/wwf_paper_dispenser

18. PERSUASIVE DESIGN
VS
DARK PATTERNS

19. RAISE
AWARENESS
CONVERT RETAIN

20. RAISE
AWARENESS
CONVERT RETAIN

21. PROMOTE SOCIAL SHARING
Raise awareness

22. FRIENDS SPAM
Dark Pattern
download.com

23. FRIENDS SPAM
Dark Pattern
download.com

24. PUBLIC COMMITMENT
Persuasive principle
Facebook posts from Runtastic (runtastic.com) and Strava (strava.com)

25. CONVERT RETAIN
RAISE
AWARENESS

26. GET PEOPLE TO BUY
Convert

27. SNEAK INTO BASKET
Dark Pattern
sportsdirect.com

28. sportsdirect.com
SNEAK INTO BASKET
Dark Pattern

29. URGENCY
Persuasive principle
made.com

30. ANCHORING
Persuasive principle
apple.com

31. GET PEOPLE TO SIGN UP
Convert

32. HIDDEN OPTIONS
Dark Pattern
sportsdirect.com

33. HIDDEN OPTIONS
Dark Pattern
Windows 8.1, Feb 2014

34. gathercontent.com/pricing-plans
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY & SOCIAL PROOF
Persuasive principle
change.org

35. CONVERT RETAIN
RAISE
AWARENESS

36. KEEP PEOPLE ENGAGED
Retain

37. PRESELECTED OPTION
Dark Pattern
asos.comryanair.com, July 2015Walmart

38. REINFORCEMENT
Persuasive principle

39. STOP PEOPLE FROM LEAVING
Retain

40. ROACH MOTEL
Dark Pattern
asos.com

41. ROACH MOTEL
Dark Pattern
asos.com

42. LOSS AVERSION
Persuasive principle
change.org

43. TAILORING
Persuasive principle
lynda.com

44. WHY DARK PATTERNS
SHOULD BE AVOIDED

45. theguardian.com/business/2014/feb/17/ryanair-easyjet-fined-travel-insurance

46. ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2005/06/childrens-book-publisher-pay-710000-settle-charges-it-violated

47. fastcodesign.com/3051906/fast-feed/after-lawsuit-settlement-linkedins-dishonest-design-is-now-a-13-million-problem

48. IDENTIFY DARK PATTERNS
SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVES
ADVOCATE ALTERNATIVES

49. Persuasive Technology
B. J. Fogg
100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People
Susan Weinschenk
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Nir Eyal
Evil by Design
Chris Nodder
darkpatterns.org
Harry Brignull

51. DARK TIMES
FOR DARK PATTERNS
Senior UX Designer
Cyber-Duck
@CrVigano
CRISTINA VIGANÒ
#LeedsDigi18