Incentives and Behavioural change - Dark Patterns
Dark patterns are deceptive design practices that manipulate user behaviour for a platform's benefit, often at the expense of user well-being. These practices exploit cognitive biases and incentives to drive unintended actions, raising ethical concerns about behavioural change in UX design.
One key psychological principle leveraged in dark patterns is loss aversion, which implies users are more afraid of losing something than they are of gaining it. Designers exploit this by displaying actions as time-sensitive or irreversible, encouraging users into decisions that prioritise business goals over users freedom.
A prominent example is The New York Times subscription model, which uses a "roach motel" design. With the help of a noticeable "Subscribe Now" button, subscribing is simple and quick. However, cancelling is far more challenging as users must call customer service or use live chat, which creates complexity. In order to discourage users from cancelling, discounts are frequently offered, which makes the process even more difficult.
Another example is the cookie consent banner on the Select Car Leasing website. Users are presented with a visually prominent “Accept All” button, making consent effortless. Users feel obliged to accept cookies for convenience, but rejecting cookies is hardly intuitive and requires navigating a complex process as the choice doesn't exist. This tactic exploits user inattention and urgency, undermining the users informed choice.
These designs undermine user trust and breach ethical UX principles. While they may be beneficial for companies data collection process, they harm brand credibility and user satisfaction. By avoiding dark patterns, UX designers can boost fairness, respect autonomy, and align with regulations like GDPR, ensuring sustainable user engagement.
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