As yesterday was Star Wars day May the 4th and today is May the 5th also know as Revenge of the Fifth, The Dark Side Day. As the awesome third Prequel movie is enjoying it’s 20th Anniversary I decided to dive and shine some dark light on the dark side of UX.

Ever tried cancelling a subscription and ended up feeling like you were trapped in an escape room designed by someone who hates you? That’s not a bug. That’s design.

UX has a Dark Side

We all talk about good design. Delight. Joy. Smooth flows and happy faces. But in between all those friendly checkboxes and “accept” buttons, there’s a quieter, more sinister craft going on. The kind that gets users to click “yes” when they meant “no.” That adds things to your cart when you weren’t looking. That hides the cancel button like it owes you money. Design can manipulate just as easily as it can guide. It’s a question of intent.

What does the Dark Side look like?

Some of the classics:

The Roach Motel
Super easy to get in. Seems like impossible to get out. Think: free trials with cancel flows that somehow take 12 clicks and a call to customer service. Examples: LinkedIn’s Premium cancellation flow, HelloFresh subscription cancellation and Amazon: How to cancel Audible subscription?

Confirmshaming
“No thanks, I don’t like saving money.” Or worse: “No thanks, I prefer being cold and alone.” Why is the opt-out always insulting? Example: Wish.com

Sneak into Basket
Suddenly there’s a €9.99 “support plan” in your cart. You didn’t put it there. You just got nudged. Example: Name.com: Look for a "surprise" in your cart

Bait and Switch
You click “Next” thinking you’re skipping a step, but surprise — you just signed up for emails from six partners. Example: Microsoft Windows 10 Upgrade

Misdirection
Cancel? Log out? Delete account? Good luck. You’ll need a map, and possibly emotional support. Example:
Amazon Prime cancelation

And the design rationale?
“Well, it works.”
Of course it works.
Tricks work.
But so does spam, for a while.

Dark patterns spike short-term conversions, sure. But long-term? You’re burning trust for clicks. And once people realise they’ve been tricked, they remember and walk away.It’s like using the Force choke when a firm conversation would’ve worked. Impressive, but maybe not the vibe you want.

Why it matters more than ever

Interfaces are getting smarter, more invisible. AI assistants, voice interactions, subtle nudges. It’s easier than ever to hide the Dark Side in the margins. Which means it’s also easier than ever to excuse it.

“This is how it’s done.”
“This is what performs.”
“This is what the stakeholders want.”

But someone still designs the thing.
Someone still writes the copy.
And someone still decides how hard it is to say “no.”
That’s the moment where we choose our side.

So what now?

It’s May 5th. The revenge of the fifth. But if you’re designing something today — a form, a funnel, a chatbot, anything — maybe stop for a second and ask: Would I want someone to do this to me?

If the answer is no... you know what to do.

For more Dark Patterns head out to: Dark Patterns
Hall of Shame and Responsible Design series by Symran Bhue & Stuti Mazumdar