Using UX for Good, Not Evil

User Experience that Avoids Dark Patterns

As User Experience designers become more and more in tune with cognitive psychology, they incorporate this into their designs and a heavy amount of user direction begins to occur. It's really important for businesses with an online presence to stay morally grounded and align its own goals with what's best for the end user, otherwise the business will cross over into the realm of negative user manipulation.

User experience is essentially the act of designing interfaces that allow a user to complete a desired action quickly and easily. Most importantly, you need to identify who is desiring the action – the business or the consumer?

Here are three simple ways to tell whether or not you've been relying on manipulative tactics for conversion:

• Is the outcome beneficial for the end user only? Then you need to reconsider your business strategy, because you're providing value to consumers with no gain to your business.
• Is the outcome beneficial for the business only? This means that there is little to no value add for the consumer, and manipulation is most likely occurring if the action is taking place.
• Is the outcome beneficial for both the business and the end user? Bingo, we have a winner!