Susan Mercer's talk from the UXPA 2014 Ignite session "Are you a Super Hero or a Super Villain? Using Design Psychology for Good (and Evil)."
Design Psychology is a powerful tool to wield and can be used to the benefit or detriment of our users; motivating them to behave in ways that can be in their interest, or our own. Our panel of experienced professionals, each with an interest in different facets of design psychology, will choose a white hat or black hat - some taking the side of good and honest intentions, with others taking the dark side where manipulation and coercion reign. On which side will you fall?
20. @susanamercer @MadPow
References and Photo Credits
• Names of Patterns: Darkpatterns.org
• Screenshots: Fastweb.com
• Photo Credits:
• PPG Place: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PPG_Place_Pitt_04.JPG
• HS Classroom:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_education_in_the_United_States#mediaviewer/File:Calhan_High_School_Senior_Classroo
• Teen with Art: https://www.flickr.com/photos/newtonfreelibrary/5595561792/
• Teen texting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolescence
• Purple & white gowns: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajschwegler/525742850/in/photostream/
• University of Chicago Campus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Strauss
• One Thousand Dollars: https://www.flickr.com/photos/consumerist/876139647/
• $20 in plant pots: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/5857531897/
• Junk mail: http://www.blogs.stopjunkmail.org.uk/diary/index.php?/archives/2008/05.html
• Sad Teen: https://www.flickr.com/photos/demibrooke/2386993730/
• One Million Dollars: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tront/2189343619/
• Wonder Woman: https://www.flickr.com/photos/62100938@N02/8200660248/
Notas do Editor
I may be an evil SuperVillain, but that’s not Evil enough for what I’m going to share with you today.
I’m going to talk to you about something done by an even more heinous villain – a US corporation!
The first thing that every Super Villain needs is a victim. This corporation found The Perfect Victim – US Teenagers!
Specifically, college-bound HS students.
So, what is so perfect about them? They are eager to do anything that might get them into college
They are very cavalier with technology and sharing information online.
And, as seniors, all they do is anticipate that day that they graduate…and eventually go to University.
But, University is expensive in the US, so they are desperate for money.
They are so desperate, that they will do just about anything for it.
And that includes applying for tons of Scholarships, since most of them are free money.
So, our Evil US Corporation dreamed up fastweb!, a website to match students with scholarships.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Fastweb will solve ALL of your money problems. Just look at all of the money that these kids have received.
This is known as Social Proof – by showing others that were “successful” in finding free money, it makes the user think that they will be too.
And this site must be trustworthy, all of the positive press they received – AND they have the TRUSTe logo.
But no! What looks like the standard terms and conditions checkbox is really a TRICK QUESTION which says „Spam me” with tons of email offers.
You click Continue, and there is more evil lurking around the corner. The site disguises a request for information form for a for-profit university as part of the application process. Using this Disguised Ad, and Misdirection, they make you think you’re still applying for scholarships, when you are really asking for more spam.
And the second page of the “real” application form even has two ads built into it. The advertisers pay the Evil Corporation for each signup, so the more poor users they dupe into checking the boxes, the more money the Evil Corporation makes!
Clicking page 2 of the ‘real” application form shows even more ads! Muahahahaha…the Evil Corporation is sneaking in as many as they can!
Finally….the user is almost done with signing up for scholarships. Just one final step to finish their profile to get matched to even more scholarships!
And that final step is…ANOTHER AD!!! Very Evil! Trés mauvais! Sehr Böse! Muy Mal! Muahahahaha….
Finally, the user makes it through the Evil slalom course known as the signup process and they can see the list of scholarships. Wow, $7,500 for this one scholarship – I have to find out about this one!
Great scholarship – No minimum GPA. No essay required. Easy money – All I have to do is give them the phone numbers of 6 of my friends. Why not? That’s got to be worth $7,500.
So what is the result of this Evil mine field of marketing data farming?
Sad teenagers with lots of junk mail, and an Evil US corporation with lots of money
No one wants to see sad teenagers. As UX designers, we need to help our corporations see their evil ways and strive to find solutions that aren’t quite so evil.
So, I don’t want to see you be an Evil Super Villain like me….I’d rather see you be....Wonder Woman!