Some month ago a friend recommended a new dating app which was supposed to be different from the rest. The app takes you through a personality test which supposedly increases the chances of matching, as well as provide other specific features. Even though I wasn’t that invested, my friend was very excited about it so I decided to give it a try.
In short, it was very disappointing. The problem with new apps is that there aren’t many people using them yet, so after two swipes there was no one else in my area, which got me bored quickly. I finally decided to delete my account and that was when things got interesting.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the option for deleting the account very easily since this is not something that most apps care for you to find in a few taps. However, the sad face caught my attention, and that’s when my journey through different dark patterns began.
Even though a sad face is not a dark pattern per se, there’s a clear purpose of making users feel bad about deleting the account and leaving the app. This is a very mild example of what Harry Bringlum called Confirmshaming; “The act of guilting the user into opting into something. The option to decline is worded in such a way as to shame the user into compliance”. There is a tumblr with great examples of different types of confirmshaming.
“Confirmshaming: The act of guilting the user into opting into something”
After tapping the option to delete I was taken to an old fashioned confirmation screen, in which another design decision caught my attention, the “delete” button styled as disabled. Not only did the delete button seem untappable but I was instinctively prompted to tap a bright big button that will not help me at all in my quest to deleting my account.
This is the most common form of dark pattern, it’s what UXP2 calls Interface Interference: “Any manipulation of the user interface that privileges specific actions over others, thereby confusing the user or limiting discoverability of important action possibilities.”
After I confirmed my desire of deleting the account I was taken through a tiring journey. Screen after screen, it was as if the app didn’t want me to delete the account at all, I was starting to wonder if I should continue with this never-ending quest or give into the app's wishes. It took me four taps, four screens with completely irrelevant information, to finally reach what seemed to be the last and definitive screen.
This seemingly never-ending flow is what UXP2 defines as Nagging: “It manifests as a repeated intrusion during normal interaction, where the user’s desired task is interrupted one or more times by other tasks not directly related to the one the user is focusing on.”
I was getting very frustrated, but my frustration would reach a new level aftertapping “delete” for the sixth time. A modal appeared with a long text:
The first question left me speechless. I had confirmed several times that I wanted to delete the account, why am I being asked this again after 5 confirmation screens? There are two things in this modal that take the prize for worst client retention technique, the first one falls into the category of Forced Action: “This action may manifest as a required step to complete a process, or may appear disguised as an option that the user will greatly benefit from.”
The second thing is what UXP2 defines as Sneaking: “It is an attempt to hide, disguise, or delay the divulging of information that has relevance to the user.”If I didn’t want to remain visible in the app anymore I had to go back to the settings screen, hide my profile and lose all the progress I made trying to delete the account in the first place. It doesn’t provide a quicker way of hiding your profile either. Keeping your account visible during the 30 day grace period will cause the app to keep sending you notifications (in case you don't delete the app from your phone, like it happened to me) and any interaction with the notifications will cause the interruption of the deleting process, and you will have to do it all over again.
These constant barriers to the task of deleting the account is what UXP2 mentions as Obstruction: “As impeding a task flow, making an interaction more difficult than it inherently needs to be with the intent to dissuade a particular action. Obstruction often manifests as a major barrier to a particular task that the user may want to accomplish.”
Recap
Here’s a recap of all the dark pattern I encountered:
Confirmshaming:
The act of guilting the user into opting into something. The option to decline is worded in such a way as to shame the user into compliance.
Interface Interference:
Any manipulation of the user interface that privileges specific actions over others, thereby confusing the user or limiting discoverability of important action possibilities.
Nagging:
It manifests as a repeated intrusion during normal interaction, where the user’s desired task is interrupted one or more times by other tasks not directly related to the one the user is focusing on.
Forced Action:
This action may manifest as a required step to complete a process, or may appear disguised as an option that the user will greatly benefit from.
Sneaking:
Its an attempt to hide, disguise, or delay the divulging of information that has relevance to the user.
Obstruction:
As impeding a task flow, making an interaction more difficult than it inherently needs to be with the intent to dissuade a particular action. Obstruction often manifests as a major barrier to a particular task that the user may want to accomplish.
There are many consequences to implementing dark patterns that will harm the reputation of an app. Users will most likely have a long list of alternatives to go to, and a frustrated user won’t hesitate to leave your product if something doesn’t meet their criteria for a good experience. One frustrated customer review can be enough to keep others from even giving your product a try. This can also be detrimental to the customer service team as they can end up drowning in negative reviews while trying to put out the fire.