Dark Pattern
From Design+Encyclopedia, the free encyclopedia on good design, art, architecture, creativity, engineering and innovation.
Dark Pattern
Dark Patterns are manipulative design techniques used by companies to deceive users into taking actions that benefit the company, often at the expense of the user's privacy or other rights. These patterns can be seen in a variety of contexts, from subscription traps to clickbait-style headlines, and from websites that use unfriendly language to manipulate users into actions to interfaces that are designed to be difficult to navigate. Essentially, a dark pattern is a design technique that is intentionally designed to encourage user behavior that is beneficial to the company, but at the expense of the user. One example of a dark pattern is the bait and switch technique, where a company advertises a product or service at a low price, but then uses deceptive design elements to make it difficult for the user to actually purchase the product at that price. Another example is the forced continuity technique, where a user is signed up for a subscription service without their knowledge or consent, and then charged a recurring fee until they cancel the service. Dark patterns can have serious consequences for users, as they can lead to financial loss, identity theft, and other forms of harm. For this reason, many consumer advocates and industry professionals are calling for greater regulation of dark patterns, and for companies to be more transparent about their design practices. In conclusion, Dark Patterns are manipulative design techniques used by companies to deceive users into taking actions that benefit the company, often at the expense of the user's privacy or other rights. These patterns can have serious consequences for users, and there is a growing movement to regulate them and promote more transparent design practices.
Manipulative, Deceptive, Design, Techniques, Regulation
Dark Pattern
Dark patterns are deceptive and manipulative design techniques used by companies to mislead and manipulate customer behaviour in order to gain a financial or other benefit over the customer, often at the expense of the customer's privacy or other rights. These techniques can be seen in a variety of different contexts, from subscription traps, to dark interfaces, and from clickbait-style headlines to websites that use unfriendly language to manipulate users into actions. A dark pattern is a technique that is intentionally designed in such a way to encourage customer behavior that is beneficial to the company, but at the expense of the customer. Dark patterns can also be used to deceive customers about the true cost of a product or service. They can include features such as hidden fees, mandatory sign-up pages, pre-checked boxes, and deceptive design elements that make it difficult for customers to make informed decisions.
User Manipulation, Unfriendly Design, Subscription Traps, Hidden Fees, Clickbait, Deceptive Design.
CITATION : "Ji-Soo Park. 'Dark Pattern.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/define/dark-pattern?E=191860 (Accessed on October 14, 2026)"
Dark Pattern
Dark Patterns are techniques used in web and app design that attempt to manipulate users into performing certain actions against their will or without their knowledge. These techniques are often used by companies to increase profits or increase user engagement. They can be used to trick users into signing up for services, making purchases, clicking on advertisements, and more. The user experience is often degraded, as the user is misled by elements that appear on the page, such as deceptive buttons, hidden costs and other deceptive features. Dark Patterns have been increasingly scrutinized by consumers and industry professionals, as they go against the basic principles of user experience design.
Online Behavior, UX Design, Human Psychology, User Manipulation.
Dark Pattern on Design+Encyclopedia
We have 220,822 Topics and 478,829 Entries and Dark Pattern has 3 entries on Design+Encyclopedia. Design+Encyclopedia is a free encyclopedia, written collaboratively by designers, creators, artists, innovators and architects. Become a contributor and expand our knowledge on Dark Pattern today.