Nielsen Norman Group (NNG) has a posting that resonates with me called Deceptive Patterns in UX: How to Recognize and Avoid Them.

What is a deceptive pattern?

NNG defines them as “A deceptive pattern is a design pattern that prompts users to take an action that benefits the company employing the pattern by deceiving, misdirecting, shaming, or obstructing the user’s ability to make another (less profitable) choice.”

Basically deceptive patterns involve using psychological tricks purposefully to make gains, at the expense of the user. If you want people to like and engage with your brand, it’s very simple: don’t piss them off or practice slight of hand with them!

Examples – modals that ask you to confirm privacy choices, obscuring negative reviews, prompting users to sign up for newsletters and using shaming language.

It also says that users with lower literacy or education levels are often the most negatively impacted by these design practices.

Make sure your designs are ethical. Read Deceptive Patterns in UX: How to Recognize and Avoid Them to learn more.