Dark Patterns & Ethics

Dark patterns use the details of an interface to pressure people, hide important information, or make an unwanted action difficult to avoid. They can appear in pricing, subscriptions, account settings, and the choices people are asked to make about their data.

This page explains those patterns and the related idea of deceptive design. The focus is on how language, layout, and extra steps influence a person’s understanding and choices, including who benefits from the decision the design encourages.