Dark patterns are tricky design choices made on purpose to manipulate users into doing things they might not really want to do — like signing up, sharing data, or spending money.
The term was coined by UX designer Harry Brignull in 2010. He started calling out websites and apps that use sneaky interfaces to trick people, often hiding the real cost of something or making it hard to say “no.” These aren’t bugs or bad design — they’re deliberate choices meant to serve the business, not the user.
Here’s a classic example: you try to cancel a subscription, but the “Cancel” button is tiny and gray, while the “Keep my subscription” button is big and bright. Or you sign up for something “free,” and suddenly you’re in a paid trial with no easy way out. These tactics are used everywhere — shopping sites, apps, even cookie consent pop-ups.
Dark patterns break the trust between users and companies. There’s growing pressure — even laws, like the Digital Services Act in the EU or state laws in the U.S. — to crack down on them. But users still need to stay alert.
For a full list of dark pattern types, check out https://www.deceptive.design.
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