How We Navigate Dark Patterns in UX at Few

Written by Shireen Hashemi, Lead UX Strategist, Few.

At Few, we’re all about putting users first, building trust, and keeping things transparent. But sometimes, clients unknowingly ask us to do things that might not exactly be aligned with that similar line of thinking. Recently, we encountered a design challenge that required us to create a solution that both met the business needs of our client and avoided a dark pattern.

The Client’s Request

Dark patterns are sneaky design tricks that get users to do things they might not really want to do. They break trust and can potentially harm a brand’s reputation in the long run. This particular request was related to user permissions, and even though the client was pushing hard for a certain direction, we knew we had to find an alternative solution not only for the user’s sake — but the client’s as well.

We saw this as an opportunity to educate both ourselves and the client by coming up with two options: one that sacrificed user experience, and one that emphasized it.

Doing Our Homework

To make our case, we dove deep into research to back up our design recommendations. We looked at three main areas:

• User Trust and Privacy: People care a lot about their privacy. Syncing contacts without asking is a huge no-no, and could even feel like a betrayal. This could easily make users ditch the app.
• Legal Implications: There are some serious laws out there that require explicit user consent before accessing personal data. Ignoring these can lead to massive fines and legal headaches.
• User Experience: A great user experience is all about respect and smooth interactions. Forcing actions on users without their consent messes this up and can lead to frustration and bad reviews.

Presenting Our Findings

We prepared a presentation equipped with research and wireflows to share back to the client. Here’s how we laid it out:

• Best Practices for Permission Requests: We shared our research on the best ways to ask for permissions in mobile apps and how to make them even better.

We wanted to highlight the benefits of clear permission requests. When users understand why an app needs certain permissions and how it benefits them, they’re more likely to say yes. Plus, it’s important to ask for permissions when they’re actually needed, not all at once when the app is installed. And if users change their minds, they should easily be able to adjust their settings. Clear explanations and direct links to settings are key here (NNG).

• Developer Guidelines: We included key points from Apple and Android documentation on requesting access to contacts, making it clear that the app won’t even make it to the app store if they don’t follow these guidelines.
• Slightly Better Dark Pattern Proposal: We refined the original flow the client wanted: show the notification preferences screen, ask for push notifications, and then immediately ask to sync contacts. This wasn’t a blatant dark pattern, but it blurred the lines by not clearly explaining the benefits or ensuring privacy. Plus, it asked for everything all at once, which wasn’t user-friendly.
• Our Ethical Solution: We proposed an even better way: show the notification preferences screen and ask for push notifications. Then, explain why syncing contacts is beneficial and ensure users their privacy is safe. If they agree, then show the system prompt for permission.

We showed a side by side comparison of how the onboarding flows will need to be adjusted at this point of the process depending on the options we laid out.

The Outcome

Despite some initial back and forth, we got the client to sign on to our recommended option. They appreciated our thorough research and the solid reasoning behind our recommendations. This approach not only kept us on the right side but also made our users feel heard and respected. Talk about a win-win!

Other Common Dark Patterns in UX

We’ve all seen those sneaky tricks in UX design that make us groan. Here are five common ones to watch out for:

• Roach Motel: Easy to get into, hard to get out. Think of signing up for a subscription easily but facing a labyrinth to cancel it.
• Bait and Switch: Clicking on something that promises one thing but delivers another. Like a button that closes a pop-up but actually signs you up for something.
• Sneak into Basket: Adding extra items to your cart without asking. You only notice at checkout!
• Confirmshaming: Guilt-tripping users into saying yes. “No, I don’t want to save money” — come on, really?
• Privacy Zuckering: Tricking users into sharing more than they wanted. Complex privacy settings that make your info more public than you thought.

Roach Motels and Confirmshaming are two commonly used dark UX patterns.

Conclusion

This experience reminded us that UX design isn’t just about following rules — it’s about standing up for what’s right for the users. In today’s digital world, where user trust is everything, sticking to ethical principles is the secret to long-term success.

At Few, we’re committed to designing with integrity, making sure our work respects user rights and delivers great experiences. Because in the end, ethical design isn’t just good practice — it’s the right thing to do.

By sharing this story and highlighting other cases of dark patterns, we hope to inspire other UX pros to stand firm on ethical standards and always put user trust first. After all, real success in UX design isn’t just about meeting client goals, but about creating experiences that users can truly trust and enjoy.