Dark Patterns
Personal Project
Inspiring aspiring designers to adopt ethical practices by educating them about the detrimental impacts of employing dark patterns in UI/UX design.
Overview
I collaborated with a team of five to design and print Dark Patterns, a zine aimed at educating future designers on ethical UX practices. As dark patterns—deceptive UI tactics that manipulate users—become more common, we sought to raise awareness of their negative impact. By introducing design students to these unethical practices early in their careers, we aimed to encourage ethical decision-making and responsible design choices from the start.
If you're interested in reading the entire zine, feel free to download it!
Role
Book Cover Designer, Copywriter, UI Designer
Tools
Figma, InDesign, Premiere Pro
Skills
Print Design, UI Design, Research, Copy Writing
My Approach
While my team members each chose their own way to represent dark pattern concepts, I wanted to take a unique approach that went beyond the expected grids and cursors often seen on UI/UX book covers. As an animal enthusiast, I drew inspiration from nature—specifically, the deceptive tactics found in the animal world. The cover design illustrates the life cycle of the lancet liver fluke, a parasite that manipulates ants into acting against their instincts. Similarly, companies that employ dark patterns exploit human psychology for their own benefit.
This unconventional approach sparked curiosity, standing out from traditional UI/UX visuals. By drawing an abstract yet powerful parallel, I aimed to engage readers in a deeper conversation about dark patterns and their ethical implications, encouraging them to reconsider the real-world impact of these manipulative design tactics.
Turning Real-Life Exploration Digital
In addition to designing the cover, index, and introduction page, I collaborated with a teammate to create a spread for her category—interface interference. My specific focus was on “disguised ads,” which I illustrated using the goldenrod crab spider, a master of disguise in the natural world. Just like this spider camouflages itself to ambush prey, disguised ads blend seamlessly into digital experiences, concealing their true intent.
Each spread posed a design challenge, prompting readers to reflect on their problem-solving methods and explore ethical alternatives. Participants had the opportunity to upload their solutions to our digital platform—a space designed to foster a community of moral designers. This platform served as a hub for ethical design discussions, offering resources and a collaborative environment where designers could work together to create solutions that respect users rather than manipulate them.
The Campaign
Visit our website to find the zine for sale, accompanied by a collection of stickers. The stickers playfully critique dark patterns, advocate for ethical design choices, and provide motivational messages. Leveraging the ubiquity of stickers on everyday items like canteens, laptops, and phones, they serve as conversation starters. Engaging in open and honest discussions is crucial for designers to move towards more ethical practices.
Challenges
Designing a book and managing the printing process for the first time introduced unexpected complexities. It was both exciting and demanding, requiring us to navigate new workflows while ensuring high-quality output. As a team of five, we had to coordinate schedules to collaborate effectively, aligning on key decisions for both the print layouts and desktop interface. While we relied on Figma for initial designs, transitioning to InDesign came with a learning curve, especially in maintaining print fidelity.
Takeaways
Designing for print offered a unique and rewarding challenge, requiring a different mindset than digital design. Seeing a physical product come to life reinforced the importance of precision, layout hierarchy, and material considerations. While there’s always more to learn, this experience strengthened my adaptability and collaboration skills—both essential in cross-functional design projects. I look forward to tackling similar challenges in the future.