Broken Expectations, Broken Concepts: A New
Diagnosis of Dark Patterns
Name
caragay-caragay-meng-eecs-2023-thesis.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
Size
3.27 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
e04f9ecb0df713841ede8169c5b7ae31
Author(s)
Caragay, Evan
Advisor(s)
Jackson, Daniel
Date Issued
June 2023
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Interest in analyzing and preventing dark patterns, commonly defined as design that is manipulative or deceptive, has been rising. Most analyses of dark patterns today are descriptive, describing and categorizing examples of these patterns in user interfaces, making it difficult for stakeholders to identify the root causes of more structural and nuanced patterns. In this thesis, I propose a new definition: dark patterns emerge when a given design breaks users’ expectations and harms their interests. To formally define and analyze expectations, I use an existing design framework called concept design, which defines applications in terms of independent building blocks called concepts. I present a new type of design catalog built on concepts to empower organizations to set standards around expectations. I then introduce a formal definition of design extensions within concept design, bringing further precision to dark pattern analysis. This concept-based approach to analyzing dark patterns enables the identification of more subtle dark patterns at both a user interface level and a structural level, more precise analysis of the root cause of darkness within a design, and more nuanced consideration of the impact of cultural expectations on perceptions of darkness.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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