The Ethical Dilemma of User Experience Design

This chapter explores the troubling concept of dark patterns in user experience, where companies exploit design to enhance engagement at the cost of user welfare. It contrasts unethical practices with more ethical models like Myro, while also contemplating the future implications of behavioral AI on user interactions.

Play episode from 08:52

chevron_right

Transcript

chevron_right

Transcript

Episode notes

In this episode, we’re tackling a question that every UX designer thinks they understand—but do we really?

💡 Are we designing for how people actually think—or just how we assume they think?

We rely on psychology-based UX laws like:
✔️ Hick’s Law (Too many choices slow people down—right?)
✔️ Fitts’s Law (Bigger buttons are easier to click—makes sense?)
✔️ Jakob’s Law (Users expect interfaces to be familiar—of course!)

But what if these rules oversimplify human psychology? What if they don’t apply in real-world situations?

In this episode, we explore:

When psychology-based UX rules fail in real life.
Why people don’t always act logically—and what that means for design.
The dark side of persuasive UX—when psychology is used to manipulate.
The future of UX psychology—from behavioral AI to brain-computer interfaces.

🚀 Key Takeaway: UX isn’t just about usability—it’s about understanding the human mind beyond the traditional rules we’ve been following.

Check out ⁠WIX Studio⁠

Other resources

💻 ✨Waiting list for the AI Academy: 6-week Bootcamp to Learn How to Master AI as a Designer

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get notified when doors are opening again⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 0€ AI mini Training for Designers 👈

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn 3 strategies to leverage gen AI as a designer in just 30 min⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💌 Newsletter

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Weekly UX insights and updates: UX Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow the Future of UX:

🎨 Linkedin: ⁠⁠Future of UX Podcast⁠⁠

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠Future of UX Podcast⁠⁠