Information Workshops II: Dark UX (Winter)

Section Description

Critical perspectives on user experience (UX) have gained interest from design communities in the recent years. In this workshop, students will critically explore the phenomena of Dark UX and Dark Patterns, in which user experiences are often designed to advance shareholder value (e.g., profitability of design, clickbait, customer retention) as opposed to user value. When creating dark patterns, designers use their knowledge of human abilities and limitations as well as widely recognized design principles to engineer deceptive functionalities and experiences that are not in the best interests of users. These manipulative design techniques often trick users into unknown or inappropriate behaviours, raising questions related to the ethical and value-centered aspects of UX design. This workshop will provide opportunities for students to recognize, critically analyze, and design deceptive patterns, assess their effects users, and explain their impacts on the psychology of digital addiction.

Current Timetable