Dark pattern: Difference between revisions

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*'''Obstruction''': Simple tasks are made unnecessarily complicated, such as requiring users to navigate multiple steps to cancel a subscription or delete an account.

*'''Bait and Switch:''' A user sets out to do one thing, but a different outcome happens instead. For example, clicking a button that says “Download” initiates a purchase instead.

*'''Forced Action (a.k.a. Forced Engagement):''' Users are required to perform an unrelated task to proceed - for example, making an account or subscribing to a newsletter just to access basic content or features.

*'''Misdirection:''' Attention is purposefully drawn to one element to distract from another - often used to downplay important opt-outs, costs, or alternatives.

*'''Visual Interference:''' Design elements such as misleading colours, button sizes, or placements make it hard for users to make informed choices (e.g., greyed-out opt-outs that are still clickable).

*'''Gamification for Manipulation:''' Using badges, streaks, or points to incentivize continued use or spending, beyond what’s rational or in the user’s best interest.

*'''Nagging:''' Repeatedly prompting the user to take an action they’ve already declined - e.g., “Are you sure you don’t want notifications?” shown on every login.

*'''Hidden Subscription (a variant of Forced Continuity):''' The cost and terms of a subscription are hidden during sign-up or obscured in fine print, often leading users to unknowingly commit to recurring charges.

*'''Price Comparison Prevention:''' Limiting a user’s ability to compare prices across competitors - e.g., by using unique product names or obscuring base pricing models.

*'''Intermittent Rewards:''' Randomised rewards (like loot boxes or algorithmic content feeds) are designed to mimic gambling patterns from games in which players wager and encourage compulsive behaviour.

*'''Trick Timers:''' Timers that restart or extend themselves after expiring to simulate urgency and encourage immediate decisions based on false time pressure.

===Why dark patterns are problematic===

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 *'''Obstruction''': Simple tasks are made unnecessarily complicated, such as requiring users to navigate multiple steps to cancel a subscription or delete an account.
+*'''Bait and Switch:''' A user sets out to do one thing, but a different outcome happens instead. For example, clicking a button that says “Download” initiates a purchase instead.
+*'''Forced Action (a.k.a. Forced Engagement):''' Users are required to perform an unrelated task to proceed - for example, making an account or subscribing to a newsletter just to access basic content or features.
+*'''Misdirection:''' Attention is purposefully drawn to one element to distract from another - often used to downplay important opt-outs, costs, or alternatives.
+*'''Visual Interference:''' Design elements such as misleading colours, button sizes, or placements make it hard for users to make informed choices (e.g., greyed-out opt-outs that are still clickable).
+*'''Gamification for Manipulation:''' Using badges, streaks, or points to incentivize continued use or spending, beyond what’s rational or in the user’s best interest.
+*'''Nagging:''' Repeatedly prompting the user to take an action they’ve already declined - e.g., “Are you sure you don’t want notifications?” shown on every login.
+*'''Hidden Subscription (a variant of Forced Continuity):''' The cost and terms of a subscription are hidden during sign-up or obscured in fine print, often leading users to unknowingly commit to recurring charges.
+*'''Price Comparison Prevention:''' Limiting a user’s ability to compare prices across competitors - e.g., by using unique product names or obscuring base pricing models.
+*'''Intermittent Rewards:''' Randomised rewards (like loot boxes or algorithmic content feeds) are designed to mimic gambling patterns from games in which players wager and encourage compulsive behaviour.
+*'''Trick Timers:''' Timers that restart or extend themselves after expiring to simulate urgency and encourage immediate decisions based on false time pressure.
 ===Why dark patterns are problematic===