TIL: dark pattern

Have you ever signed up for a free trial to get stuck in an auto-renewing subscription? Or struggled to unsubscribe from unwanted emails?

You may have encountered what is known as “dark patterns.”

Dark patterns are design experiences carefully crafted to trick users into doing something they may not have intended to - like subscribing to a service, making a purchase, or sharing more personal data than desired.

Some common dark patterns to watch out for include:

• Hidden costs or subscriptions: When a free trial transitions into an auto-renewing paid subscription confusingly, burying the actual price details.

• Rogue confirmation buttons: Placement of buttons that say “yes” rather than “no” or “cancel” to encourage accidental clicks that confirm unwanted actions.

• Hard to exit: Making unsubscribe or account deletion processes unreasonably difficult through multiple confusing steps.

• Sneak into basket: Automatically selecting add-ons, accessories, or other items to increase purchase size without clear consent.

• Privacy zoning: Dividing personal data into separate sections with unclear “agreements” to confuse users into oversharing.

• Social proof deception: Lying about popularity statistics to create a false sense of urgency or social pressure to act.