Dark Patterns
User-interface choices deliberately crafted to trick people into doing things they would not otherwise do. Also known as Deceptive Patterns. Coined by Harry Brignull.
Dark patterns (also known as deceptive patterns) are user-interface choices deliberately crafted to trick people into doing things they would not otherwise do: signing up for a subscription they did not want, sharing more data than they intended, or making it nearly impossible to cancel or opt out.
The term was coined in 2010 by user-experience researcher Harry Brignull, who first named the concept Dark Patterns and later renamed it Deceptive Patterns. Dark patterns – sometimes called deceptive patterns – are the micro-mechanics of enshittification: the small, cynical design tricks that convert a user’s confusion or momentum into corporate value.
Common types
- Confirmshaming: wording that guilts you into accepting – e.g. “No thanks, I don’t want to save money.”
- Roach motel: easy to get in, nearly impossible to get out. Sign-up is one click; cancel is a phone call on hold.
- Forced action: making you do something unrelated (create an account, enable notifications) to complete a simple task.
- Hidden costs: revealing fees or subscription charges only at the final step.
- Privacy zuckering: tricking you into sharing more info than you intend, with obscure defaults.
- Bait and switch: showing one thing and delivering another – like a “free” trial that silently bills you.
Why they matter
Dark patterns are not accidents of sloppy design. They are researched, tested, and measured, because they measurably increase conversions. That is exactly what makes them a moral problem: the interface is a loaded game, and the house always wins. Regulators (notably the EU, UK, and US FTC) have begun treating them as deceptive practices.