This is what not to do
Nothing screams 'trust us' like a rigged slot machine the moment someone visits your site. This predatory popup exploits gambling psychology to extract personal data in exchange for a 'prize' so worthless it requires a £500 spend.
Spoiler: it always lands on 10% off
The guides visitors through six stages of a typical user journey with fictional product "[Product Name]"
It presents a realistic and detailed walkthrough of six common dark patterns used by SaaS products and subscription services to trap users and artificially extend retention.
Spotted something shady in the wild?
We're building the internet's definitive collection of manipulative design patterns, and we need your help.
If you've encountered a particularly egregious example of dark pattern design whether it's a popup from hell, a cancellation flow that makes you question reality, or a pricing page that would make a magician jealous we want to hear about it!
What we're looking for:
Real examples of design patterns that prioritise business metrics over user wellbeing.
The kind of stuff that makes you feel manipulated, confused, or trapped. Bonus points if it made you audibly say "are you kidding me?"
What happens next:
We'll review your submission, investigate the pattern, document the specific manipulation tactics at play, and (if it's sufficiently shameful) immortalize it in our Hall of Shame.
Every entry helps other designers, product teams, and businesses understand what not to do.
Submit your evidence below screenshots encouraged, rants welcomed.