In the last century, Knowledge was the biggest scarcity. Today, it is Attention.
Have you ever had to sign a petition, only to discover more actions for your signature to be registered? Or when you come across a really interesting article but alas, the content is gated and can only be accessed if you sign up on some shady website? If you nodded yes, you are being manipulated by the attention economy.
Human attention has always been limited and valuable but it has never been easier to garner personal attention through means like social media. In the internet era, the most valuable asset anyone can gather may not be wealth or knowledge, but the ability to master focus and self-awareness.
Nobel Laureate Herbert A Simon coined the term “Attention economy” and the basic principle in an attention economy is that users “pay” for free products and services with their attention, which is sold to advertisers. A highly effective business model, our beloved FB made 86 million dollars in 2020 by selling our clicks, impressions and habits.
The attention economy is shaping design by taking advantage of user behaviours. It would do us well to reflect where our attention diverts online. An average smartphone user spends about 4.5 hours every day on their phone. Many of the apps, sites and digital products we use are researched in labs that study human behaviour and Persuasive Design.
To be fair, persuasive design is not as bad as it sounds. It can be used for the benefit of the user. Dark patterns, on the other hand, are always bad. A term introduced by London-based UX designer Harry Brignull, Dark patterns refer to design techniques that intentionally make the user’s experience worse to meet a business goal.
The next time you’re frantically searching for the close button on that annoying pop-up video, know you are encountering a dark pattern. Dark patterns in design often prey on the most primal human aspects like the need to be successful, or using scarcity, shame, guilt or fear to motivate action. (I am talking about you, black Friday ads). FOMO is real and designers take advantage of it.
Baiting users with hidden costs and disguised ads, asking more than needed in the name of “understanding” users and forcing continuity by making exit difficult are all unethical practices in design. Although easy to drive conversions, these are the quickest ways to lose customer trust and loyalty. The last thing you want is for your website to be featured in Darkpatterns.org‘s “Hall of Shame” column.
If you are a Designer, always try to infuse empathy into your design and prioritise user experience over numbers. If you're not, be critical of how apps and websites try to control your valuable attention. Know that you have control over your behaviour, regain control and make informed choices. You can thank us later.
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