Dark patterns

A dark pattern is a horrible thing. They are designed in forms and journeys to trick you. It is the practice of prioritising business over user experience by using underhanded means. Instead of helping the user complete their journey, the design exploits cognitive biases to steer them toward choices that benefit the company's bottom line. Here are a few examples. 

Pre-ticked boxes: This is a classic trick when a box is already ticked for you by default. It assumes you want to agree to something. It could be simple marketing emails, but the worst ones are when the opt-in costs you money. 

Visual misdirection: This happens when a company uses larger or brighter buttons for the action it wants you to take. The opposite or negative option may be a duller colour or smaller in size. 

Confirm shaming: This is the emotional manipulation side of dark patterns. Instead of a simple 'No' button, you are forced to click language like 'No. I am happy to pay the full price, or 'Are you sure you want to pay more later?' It is designed to make the user feel foolish or guilty for making a logical financial choice.

When you are refining a user story, look closely at the wireframes and acceptance criteria. If you see forced choices or sneaky visual weight, raise a red flag. Quality is not just about checking that the code functions. It is about checking that the software treats the user with respect. Dark patterns might boost short-term numbers, but they destroy long-term trust. 

Dark patterns are user interfaces that are designed to trick people into doing things they didn't intend to such as subscribing to or purchasing something.