Hello again,
If you are subscribed to this newsletter, you probably already know what dark patterns are. They are manipulative techniques used to encourage a specific action, usually by leveraging some aspect of psychology.
I suspect we can all agree that dark patterns are a terrible idea and should be avoided because they have hidden costs, damage customer retention, and, to be quite blunt, make you look like an asshole.
However, not being an asshole is a pretty low bar to set for ourselves. So what if we start subverting dark patterns by turning them into light patterns. Let me explain.
What Is a Light Pattern
If you are anything like me, you brace yourself at specific points in an online digital experience. For example, when you have an upcoming renewal of a subscription, you know you will have to remember to cancel it; otherwise, the company will auto-renew without telling you. Of course, you fully expect that they will make it difficult to unsubscribe as well.
But what if instead of being confronted with the same old manipulative techniques we have come to expect, you have a positive experience instead. What if, for example, your subscription is automatically canceled if you have not been using it, but you could resubscribe in a single click? Or if that is too extreme, what if you at least received an email warning you that your subscription is about to renew and you can unsubscribe in a single click.
Or what if, instead of using an incentive to get you to sign up, a company instead rewarded existing customers with a surprise gift.
There are many possibilities to take a manipulative pattern and turn it on its head. For example, instead of automatically adding extras to people’s carts, we could inform them if they are buying the wrong accessory for a product.
The list goes on.
The Benefits of Light Patterns
Of course, you are probably wondering why any company in their right mind would do this. Well, two reasons immediately spring to mind.
First, by subverting people’s expectations, you make yourself memorable and establish a positive brand perception. Doing so increases customer loyalty, lifetime value, average order value, and word-of-mouth recommendation.
Second, it is a valuable way of justifying a higher price point. For example, I am working with an insurance company that charges more than its competitors because they offer better insurance. However, that isn’t always obvious to consumers. One way of demonstrating that added value is in the small moments throughout the experience.
People will happily pay a premium to avoid the bad experiences often forced upon them. I just got back from Dubai and flew premium economy because I couldn’t cope with the crappy experience of economy.
Above Your Pay Grade?
You might be thinking this is all above your pay grade; that you don’t get to decide whether the company gives a gift or how renewals are handled. However, you may be selling yourself short.
Sure, if you are a UI designer, developer, copywriter, or similar, fair enough. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make these suggestions and argue for them.
However, if you call yourself a user experience designer, then this is absolutely an area you should be actively pushing. After all, the devil is in the details, and light patterns improve the user experience.
As for you marketers, I have already explained the impact these can have on customer acquisition and retention and customer lifetime value. These things could not be more a part of your responsibilities!
So the next time somebody suggests a dark pattern, or you read about a dark pattern online, ask yourself how you could turn it into a light pattern. Or in other words, how could you turn that negative into a positive?
Thanks
