Avoid Deceptive Patterns
Be honest with users and align your design values with user wellbeing rather than manipulation
Ethical Design
Ethical Design and Your Impact as a UX Designer
Section titled “Ethical Design and Your Impact as a UX Designer”Understanding Ethical Design
Section titled “Understanding Ethical Design”Ethical design is about understanding how your design work affects the world. As a UX designer, you have a unique opportunity to improve how technology impacts people’s lives globally, but this also comes with significant responsibility.
Your designs should put user needs front-and-center while avoiding harm and promoting inclusive experiences for all users.
The Attention Economy
Section titled “The Attention Economy”The attention economy refers to the battle for users’ attention in a world with limited time and focus. Since users have only 24 hours in a day, they must be selective about how they spend that time, and technology constantly competes for their attention.
Origins and Impact
Section titled “Origins and Impact”Foundation: Psychologist Herbert A. Simon believed humans have limits on what they can think about and do simultaneously
Core Principle: “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention”
Challenge: Technology should help users, not distract them from meaningful activities
Potential Negative Effects
Section titled “Potential Negative Effects”Mental Health Impact:
- Depression or anxiety when users don’t receive expected notifications
- Fear of missing out (FOMO) driving compulsive checking behaviors
- Addictive patterns that interfere with real-world relationships and activities
Distraction Consequences:
- Reduced ability to complete tasks well due to divided attention
- Interference with sleep, work, and personal relationships
- Difficulty focusing on important life activities
Designing for Digital Wellbeing
Section titled “Designing for Digital Wellbeing”Positive Industry Responses
Section titled “Positive Industry Responses”Google’s Digital Wellbeing Toolkit: Helps users manage phone usage and screen time
Apple’s Safety Features: Prevents notifications while driving to reduce dangerous distraction impulses
Focus Modes: Allow users to limit notifications during specific activities
Best Practices for Ethical Design
Section titled “Best Practices for Ethical Design”Consider Goals and Metrics
Understand business goals but ensure they don’t contradict user needs and wellbeing
Share Good Practices
Use your position of power to influence decision-making for good design choices
Respect User Time
Focus on helping users accomplish their goals efficiently rather than maximizing engagement time
Inclusive Design Principles
Section titled “Inclusive Design Principles”Understanding Marginalized Populations
Section titled “Understanding Marginalized Populations”Marginalized populations experience discrimination or exclusion from mainstream society because of characteristics wrongfully deemed inferior, including:
- People with disabilities
- People with limited access to technology
- People who speak different languages
- Economic minorities
Underrepresented populations include groups whose values and experiences aren’t represented often enough in society, such as:
- Certain genders or sexualities
- People of color and ethnic minorities
- Non-dominant cultural groups
Designing for Inclusion
Section titled “Designing for Inclusion”Challenge Assumptions: Question default ideas about “normal” users and family structures
Broaden Perspectives: Consider how different backgrounds, education, and circumstances affect design needs
Plan for Edge Cases: Anticipate situations beyond typical use scenarios and prepare solutions
Putting Ethical Design into Action
Section titled “Putting Ethical Design into Action”Create Inclusive Personas
Section titled “Create Inclusive Personas”- Consider marginalized or underrepresented users when creating personas
- Avoid serving only users who seem “typical” or universal to you
- Be flexible and ready to change personas when you notice their limitations
- Use practical demographic factors while remaining open to diverse needs
Broaden Stakeholder Definition
Section titled “Broaden Stakeholder Definition”- Traditional stakeholders: Project leaders, managers, investors
- Expanded definition: Any person or place a project can affect
- Include voices from communities that will be impacted by your designs
- Consider environmental and social effects of your design decisions
Increase Collaboration
Section titled “Increase Collaboration”- Collaborate with diverse people impacted by your products
- Ask if small design details encourage all perspectives to be included
- Think beyond universal design to “multiversal” design solutions
- Ensure designs have multiple points of entry and ways to experience them meaningfully
Design for Equity
Section titled “Design for Equity”Example Consideration: When designing for someone with sight and someone without sight:
- Both should be able to experience the final design equally
- Neither should miss out on important functionality or content
- Provide equivalent experiences rather than just accessible alternatives
- Consider various ways people might interact with your design
Your Position of Influence
Section titled “Your Position of Influence”Responsibility and Impact
Section titled “Responsibility and Impact”Decision-Making Power: UX designers influence how millions of people interact with technology daily
Systemic Change: Individual design decisions contribute to broader social progress or harm
Professional Accountability: Stay accountable to people you work with and users you design for
Making a Difference
Section titled “Making a Difference”Constant Learning: The journey of designing for equity never ends and requires continuous growth
Seek Diverse Opinions: Get input from users, coworkers, and stakeholders different from yourself
Incorporate Insights: Use different perspectives to improve your designs and expand your understanding
Push Industry Forward: By learning ethical and inclusive practices now, you help advance the entire UX field
Long-term Perspective
There’s still much work to be done in UX design to incorporate ethical and inclusive practices. By learning these concepts now, you’re playing an important role in pushing the industry forward.
Accountability Practices
Section titled “Accountability Practices”Personal Accountability
Section titled “Personal Accountability”- Regularly examine your own assumptions and biases
- Seek feedback from diverse perspectives
- Document decision-making processes and reasoning
- Continuously educate yourself about inclusive design practices
Professional Accountability
Section titled “Professional Accountability”- Advocate for user needs in business discussions
- Speak up when you notice potentially harmful design patterns
- Share knowledge about ethical design practices with colleagues
- Mentor junior designers in inclusive design approaches
Team Accountability
Section titled “Team Accountability”- Build diverse research and design teams
- Include traditionally excluded populations in the design process
- Create processes that regularly examine potential bias
- Establish systems for ongoing feedback from affected communities
Avoiding Deceptive Patterns in Practice
Section titled “Avoiding Deceptive Patterns in Practice”Recognition and Prevention
Section titled “Recognition and Prevention”- Be honest with users about what they’re signing up for
- Think about your design purpose and how it aligns with your values
- Understand business goals but ensure they don’t contradict user wellbeing
- Question manipulative tactics even when they might increase short-term engagement
Design Alternatives
Section titled “Design Alternatives”Instead of deceptive patterns, use approaches that benefit both users and business:
Forced Continuity Alternative:
- Notify users before trials end
- Make cancellation easy and transparent
- Clearly label buttons and processes
Hidden Costs Alternative:
- Show all pricing upfront
- Provide cost calculators before checkout
- Be transparent about additional fees
Confirmshaming Alternative:
- Use straightforward language for opt-out options
- Respect user decisions without guilt tactics
- Focus on genuine value propositions
The Designer’s Ethical Framework
Section titled “The Designer’s Ethical Framework”Core Principles
Section titled “Core Principles”- User-centered: Always prioritize genuine user needs
- Inclusive: Design for the widest possible range of people
- Honest: Avoid deception and manipulation
- Respectful: Honor users’ time, attention, and autonomy
- Accountable: Take responsibility for the impact of your designs
Decision-Making Questions
Section titled “Decision-Making Questions”When facing design decisions, ask yourself:
- Does this help users accomplish their goals?
- Am I being honest about what this feature does?
- Who might be excluded by this design choice?
- What are the long-term effects on user wellbeing?
- Would I be comfortable if my family used this product?
Your Impact on the Future
Section titled “Your Impact on the Future”Industry Transformation
Section titled “Industry Transformation”The UX design industry continues to evolve toward more ethical and inclusive practices. By learning these concepts now and applying them throughout your career, you contribute to positive change in how technology affects society.
Personal Growth
Section titled “Personal Growth”Ethical design practices not only benefit users and society - they also make you a more thoughtful, skilled designer who can create meaningful solutions to real problems.
Collective Responsibility
Section titled “Collective Responsibility”No single designer can solve all problems, but each designer’s commitment to ethical practices contributes to a larger movement toward technology that serves humanity’s best interests.
Stay accountable, be inclusive, and remember the significant impact your work can make on the world. The products you design today will shape how people interact with technology tomorrow.