10 A**hole Design Patterns — Wugweb Insights

I recently wrote about the 10 dark patterns that companies use to persuade their users to make decisions that favor the interest of the company rather than the individual. Asshole design takes dark patterns a step further.

1. Shrinkflation

Companies use this tactic to discreetly sell less of a product at the same price that it was before.

2. Planned Obsolescence

Products designed to be used for a finite amount of time, and then they are useless.

3. Lethal Enforcers

Lethal enforcers require the user to take the action that the company wants before they can do what they intend to do.

4. Loaded Question

Loaded questions take advantage of our good nature.

5. Bait and Switch

Luring someone in with the intent of receiving one thing and then when they get it, it is actually cheap junk.

6. Throttling

Throttling is when a company intentionally downgrades the service or product with the hopes that the customer upgrades.

7. Guilt Tripping

Guilt-tripping is the act of playing on ones emotions to invoke them to take a particular action.

8. Monopoly

Companies create a monopoly when they force someone to buy a currency or product that can only be used there and not transferred.

9. Free Real Estate

When every square inch of space that meets a pair of eyeballs is turned into a display ad.

10. Decoy

Companies change the terminology used to describe a word with a negative connotation.