citrus fortress

Dark Patterns

This inspired presentation by Harry Brignull should be required viewing for anyone who makes products that they want people to love. But I’d argue that more than “naming & shaming,” a business case needs to be made for treating customers with respect and creating user interfaces that try to help users do what they want. I think the success of companies like Zappos & Netflix is a testament to the fact that such a case can be made, and that while a/b testing can be very valuable, short-term gains achieved by tricking (and very likely frustrating and angering) your customers are dwarfed by the long-term value created by treating them humanely.

Also, check out his Dark Patterns site.