This article is an adaptation of a thesis I wrote at the end of my studies.
- Introduction
- The Psychological Triggers in UX
- The Role and Evolution of UX
- Ethical Design as a Marketing Opportunity
- Conclusion: Ethic-tac… A Race Against Time
Introduction
In the era of digital dependence, where we rely heavily on apps and online services, many of these digital platforms are designed to capture our attention and monetize user data. With rising awareness of the harmful effects of these tactics, what role does UX play? Can UX design be questioned, and what solutions exist for creating user-friendly, ethical digital products?
Each morning, my phone alarm goes off, and while I fumble to silence it, I often find myself snoozing instead. The stop button is barely visible, tucked away, encouraging me to stay in bed for another eight minutes. Is this bad design, or is it intentional, nudging me toward more rest or, perhaps, trying to prevent me from oversleeping? Whatever the reason, it’s clear that this interface, used by millions of iPhone owners, was carefully designed and tested.
Then, as I sip my coffee, I unlock my phone only to be greeted by a barrage of red notification dots in my favorite apps. These little red badges, designed to catch my eye, play on psychological triggers—red signifies urgency, passion, or even danger. Just like that, I’m sucked into 20 minutes of mindless scrolling. This isn’t just my experience; over 60% of people in France and 80% of 18-34-year-olds check their notifications as soon as they wake up (YouGov, 2019). In fact, around 30 million people in France follow this morning routine, a behavior that can be as compulsive as reaching for a cigarette first thing in the morning.
Digital platforms thrive on this addiction, leveraging our attention for profit. This economy of attention places significant responsibility on UX designers, whose interfaces, workflows, and architecture shape our digital behavior to meet business goals.
The Psychological Triggers in UX
The Dopamine Rush
As businesses increasingly prioritize user engagement, various UI techniques have been developed to keep users hooked. These methods, often borrowed from gaming, aim to maximize dopamine releases, creating an unhealthy dependency on a false sense of happiness.
Instagram’s infinite scroll, for example, ensures there’s always more content, while Snapchat’s “streak” feature taps into loss aversion, encouraging users to maintain a daily interaction with friends to avoid resetting the streak. These designs manipulate human psychology, pushing users to interact more, driven by a fear of losing out.
For a deeper dive into these mechanics, watch Arte’s “Dopamine” series on YouTube: Dopamine by Arte.
Jakob’s Law and Familiarity
Social media platforms thrive by designing features users not only want but expect. Jakob’s Law suggests that users spend most of their time on other websites, and they expect a familiar experience across platforms. Think of Facebook notifications or Snapchat’s stories, now ubiquitous across social platforms. These designs become ingrained in users’ expectations, making them readily accepted when implemented elsewhere.
Dark Patterns: Manipulation in Design
UX design sometimes veers into darker territory with dark patterns—deceptive interface designs aimed at manipulating user behavior. From hidden unsubscribe buttons to misleading alerts, these tactics are increasingly common in social media, e-commerce, and even day-to-day digital experiences.
The first example is the color of the buttons, one of the most important components in our interfaces. The green button will be used to navigate a typical path (validate a choice, move on to the next step…) and the same green button will be used in a logical sequence to make an optional payment.
For example, unsubscribing from a newsletter often requires navigating through multiple layers of text or obscurely placed links. Netflix’s automatic countdown to the next episode lures users into binge-watching by removing the need to actively choose what’s next.
Dark patterns can also hide within information architecture. Consider Amazon’s account deletion process, which requires navigating through an unnecessarily convoluted path, obscuring the action from users.
Harry Brignull, a UX consultant and cognitive scientist, has cataloged a range of dark patterns used in digital design, advocating for awareness and public pressure to discourage these practices.
Long-Term Impacts
Dark patterns and addictive design elements force users to remain vigilant to avoid unintended actions. Over time, these mechanisms create stress, anxiety, and dependence, all of which often go unnoticed by the user.
Offline, the effects extend to what we call digital distraction. With our limited attention spans (Microsoft’s 2015 study revealed the average human attention span is now only 8 seconds), constant digital stimuli disrupt our ability to focus, potentially leading to health issues like sleep disorders and eye strain. With so many digital experiences designed to exploit our psychological weaknesses, how should the role of UX design evolve?
The Role and Evolution of UX
Where Does UX Fit In?
An UX designer’s primary task is to create intuitive, enjoyable, and user-centered experiences. These experiences rely on a deep understanding of user needs, translated into user-friendly interfaces and features. Ideally, the UX process involves user research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, and testing, all aimed at solving user problems or enhancing services.
However, as UX designers play a pivotal role in shaping user experiences, they also bear some responsibility for creating the addictive features of today’s digital platforms. Often, these addictive designs are driven by business models that prioritize profit over user well-being.
The Role of Ethical Design
As digital design has evolved, it must now balance user needs with business goals, market trends, and even legal and ethical considerations. Today’s UX design should encompass a broader ethical framework, ensuring that the products created are not just efficient but respectful of users’ psychological and emotional well-being.
Estelle Hary, a designer at the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL), highlights the issue of standardized interfaces, which limit designers’ creativity. This standardization, driven by the dominance of certain design trends (e.g., Tinder’s swipe or Google’s recommendations), reduces the room for innovation, pushing UX designers into more of an executional role. This shift risks reducing the human-centered dimension of design in favor of marketing-led goals.
From UX to HX: Human Experience
In 2016, Tristan Harris, a former product philosopher at Google, penned “How Technology is Hijacking Your Mind,” which exposed the manipulative tactics of tech giants and the disconnect between user goals and profit-driven objectives. This article sparked a movement questioning designers’ roles and responsibilities within companies.
Various movements have since emerged to advocate for ethical design practices. In France, the Ethical Designers Collective has been exploring ethical digital practices since 2016, and conferences like Ethics by Design focus on responsible digital design.
The shift from UX to HX (Human Experience) reflects a broader trend in design that prioritizes well-being over engagement. TEDx talks by designers like Johannes Ippen promote alternative app designs that avoid addictive notifications, offering instead a more mindful digital experience. Watch Johannes Ippen’s TEDx talk here.
Ethical Design as a Marketing Opportunity
The Marketing Evolution
Marketing, too, has evolved in recent decades. From Marketing 1.0 (product-centered) to Marketing 3.0 (human-centered), brands now focus on aligning with consumers’ values. Today’s consumers seek authenticity, trust, and shared values. They are no longer passive but demand transparency and accountability from the brands they engage with.
A 2020 study revealed a significant loss of trust between consumers and brands during the COVID-19 crisis, with 63% of consumers and 76% of media professionals reporting a decline in trust. Brands that fail to align with ethical and transparent practices risk losing their audience.
Ethics as a Competitive Advantage
A new business model based on ethics, authenticity, and sustainability is gradually replacing the old paradigm of growth and profitability. Simon Sinek’s popular “Why” theory explains the importance of purpose in building customer loyalty. Companies like Apple and Qwant have capitalized on privacy concerns to differentiate themselves, while platforms like Instagram experiment with features like hidden likes to improve user well-being.
Conclusion: Ethic-tac… A Race Against Time
Ethics in UX design is no longer optional. As brands increasingly integrate ethical considerations into their digital products, designers must lead the way, balancing commercial success with human needs. Ethical design is not just good for users; it’s also becoming a marketing asset. UX designers have a critical role to play, not only in creating more humane digital experiences but also in shaping the future of responsible tech.
The future of UX lies in embracing a more holistic approach, considering psychology, marketing, and the ethical implications of every design decision. By doing so, designers can ensure that digital products serve users in meaningful and responsible ways, bridging the gap between ethical concerns and business success.