Dark patterns and unethical designs by category.
Bait and switch
1 case
This tactic lures users with an enticing offer, only to change the terms unexpectedly. The original promise often has hidden conditions, misleading users into commitments they didn't intend, eroding trust.
Confirmshaming
4 cases
When a product or a service is guilting or shaming a user for not signing up for some product or service.
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Oodie: Online shopping guilt
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Wish.com Confirmashaming dark pattern
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Microsoft: Nasty Edge Browser ad
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Dailylook.com: Subscribe, or you'll be shamed
Disguised Ads
2 cases
When an advertisement on a website pretends to be a UI element and makes you click on it to forward you to another website.
Hidden Costs
5 cases
At the last stage of your checkout process, you would see some additional charges that were added to your final bill without mentioning them in previous steps. (i.e. delivery charges, taxes, etc.)
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The Globe and Mail: One ad, two prices
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HashiCorp: One plan, two prices
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Toronto Star: Price matters
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StorageMart: Adds the cost without mentioning it to you
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Bloomen: Flowers with additional charge during checkout
Misdirection
18 cases
A flow or a UI element is designed in a way to trick your attention in order to distract you from the desired action (i.e. using smaller contrast color on primary buttons).
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Dribbble: Dark patterns in subscription cancellation
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Oodie: Online shopping guilt
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Thirdwork.xyz retains subscribers with a deceptive dark pattern
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Coursera: Tricky enrollment process
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London Zoo's ticket purchase process
Privacy Zuckering
4 cases
A service or a website tricks you into sharing more information with it than you really want to.
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Redis.com: "Free" ebooks
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Samsung: Forcing promotional emails
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Ryanair – when every page is a dark pattern
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Shaw.ca: Sign up only by receiving promotions
Roach Motel
8 cases
This dark pattern is usually used for subscription services. It is easy to sign up for it, but it's much harder to cancel it (i.e. you have to call customer support).
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Dribbble: Dark patterns in subscription cancellation
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Which?: Classic usage of a Roach Motel dark pattern
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Shutterstock: Terms and conditions apply
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The Economist: Tricky subscription cancellation
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Scribd: Classic roach motel situation
Sneak into Basket
2 cases
When buying something, during your checkout, a website adds some additional items to your cart, making you take the action of removing it from your cart.