As design professionals, we are uniquely positioned to shape how people interact with technology. While UX designers often seek to enhance empathy and improve the usability of products, the same insights can be misused in the form of dark patterns—design tactics that manipulate or deceive users into taking unintended actions. This talk examines the latest research and regulatory responses to these harmful practices and provides designers with the tools and knowledge they need to ensure their work prioritizes user welfare.

This talk will explore actionable strategies designers can implement to identify and counteract dark patterns in digital products. Drawing from academic research and recent regulatory actions, we will discuss how to recognize harmful design practices, as well as approaches to prevent them, while fostering ethical and user-centered design solutions. Attendees will leave with guidance on navigating the complexities of ethical decision-making in UX, whether they are seasoned professionals or new to the field.

Attendees will:
* Learn about key academic research and real-world examples of dark patterns and their negative impacts on users.
* Understand recent regulatory actions, including emerging legal definitions and frameworks for identifying and addressing dark patterns.
* Gain practical guidance on recognizing and mitigating dark patterns within their own work, using an ontology that categorizes these deceptive tactics at different scales—ranging from specific UI choices to broader organizational strategies.
* Discuss the role of ethical design in fostering trust between users and organizations and how to apply ethical principles in everyday design practice.

The session will include the following activities:
* Group Discussion: Attendees will identify dark patterns from real-world examples and explore how they could be redesigned to avoid user manipulation.
* Design Scenarios: We’ll work through several common design challenges, identifying ethical dilemmas and discussing solutions that avoid dark patterns.

Participants will receive a worksheet outlining common types of dark patterns, summarizing an emerging ontology of dark patterns.

Colin Gray, is a leading scholar in dark patterns research internationally, and have contributed numerous academic articles as well as community outreach and legal consulting work on the topic.