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Eco-Design Web Development

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Notion 35

Why and how you should avoid Dark Patterns.

Target skills

Learn the concept of "Dark Pattern" and why we should avoid them.

Dark Patterns are tricks used by websites, programs, and applications in order to make users do things they didn't intend to. Despite of its purpose any webpage should be beneficial for the user. Applying dark patterns in order to increase your own benefits by deceiving the user contradicts the purpose on any webpage existence.

Below we provide you with 7 examples that use design to intentionally deceive people. Avoid any of them in your web design.

1. Roach motel

It is a type of dark pattern that makes it easy to get in but hard to get out. Internet is full of different types of subscriptions (newsletter, software, premium plan etc.) that make it extremely difficult for a user to find where to unsubscribe.

2. Bait and Switch

It means changing design patterns without warning. E.g., if you used a blue button to skip to the next page and suddenly that same button converts into a “Buy button” it is very possible that you click it before realizing that the action behind it changed.

3. Disguised ads

These are advertisements that are disguised as other type of content in order to make you click on them.

4. Sneak into basket

When you try to buy an item but somewhere in a purchasing journey some additional items are added to your cart that you didn´t choose at any moment. It may happen through an opt-out radio button or check box on a previous page.

5. Hidden costs

When you get to the last step and check out you find out that the price changed because of some unexpected charges that were not included in the initial price, like taxes or delivery charges etc. It means that the attractiveness of the initial price was misleading.

6. Privacy zuckering

This dark pattern is named after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It consists in making you publicly share more information than you are willing to. Very often accepting the "terms and conditions" we give permission to share our data externally.

7. Scarcity inflation

This pattern uses our emotional bias toward missing out on something. Don´t fake limited availability of something (e.g. only one room left) unless it is real.

These are just some examples of deceptive user experience patterns that flourish with no control on internet today. They are complete contradiction to the sustainable web design, which is meant to be honest.
Besides, in terms of environmental footprint, many of these patterns assume more extensive data processing and consequently higher energy consumption.