A user interface design that tricks or manipulates users into doing something they didn't intend, such as signing up for a subscription, sharing more data, or making an unintended purchase. Dark patterns prioritize business goals over user interests.
Common contexts
- Identifying a pre-checked newsletter opt-in buried at the bottom of a sign-up form during a UX audit
- Flagging a 'confirm shaming' cancel subscription button labeled 'No, I want to pay more' in a design review
- Documenting a roach motel pattern where subscription sign-up takes one click but cancellation requires a phone call
Use when
Recognize dark patterns not to implement them, but to identify them during audits and critiques — being able to name a pattern makes it easier to advocate against it when business stakeholders request it under pressure. Documentation of the legal and reputational risks of dark patterns is the most effective design argument against them.
Avoid when
No user experience goal justifies a dark pattern — the short-term conversion gains are consistently outweighed by support costs, regulatory exposure, and permanent damage to user trust when the pattern is noticed. Users who discover they've been manipulated do not return.
The most insidious dark patterns aren't the obvious ones — they're the ones a team convinces itself are just 'good UX' because the conversion numbers look great in the short-term dashboard.
Real-world examples
- Amazon's cancellation flow for Prime membership routes users through multiple confirmation screens with prominently styled 'Keep my benefits' buttons and de-emphasised 'Cancel' links—a dark pattern called 'roach motel'.
- LinkedIn has faced criticism for defaulting new users into email-sharing permissions and sending connection invitation emails to entire contact lists without sufficiently clear opt-out, a 'trick question' pattern.
- Ryanair's booking flow historically pre-selected paid seat assignments by default, requiring users to actively find and deselect the option—a 'sneak into basket' dark pattern.