Dark Patterns

Questions

What is Dark Patterns?

Dark Patterns are design techniques that steer people into actions against their interests, like hidden fees, pre-ticked boxes and hard-to-cancel subscriptions. The Columbia Record Club billed members for albums unless they declined in time, and Noom, denying wrongdoing, settled cancellation claims.

How do you use Dark Patterns?

Slow down at checkout, set reminders before trials end, and turn off hook-you notifications. If you design for others, make leaving as easy as joining, and ask whether customers would feel tricked.

When does Dark Patterns matter?

Dark Patterns is one of the 60 mental models for people, the situations where you ask: Why do people act as they do, and how do I work with them? Within that, it belongs to “Persuading and influencing”, alongside Anchoring, Backfire Effect and Bait and Switch.

What is an example of Dark Patterns?

Two stories show it at work: The Columbia Record Club (1955–1973) and Noom (2022). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.

Which mental models are related to Dark Patterns?

Nudging, Bait and Switch and Lock-in. Dark Patterns itself comes from systems.