Dark Patterns Symbiosis Bright Patterns
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Emotional or Sensory Manipulation

Emotional or Sensory Manipulation subverts the user’s expectation that the design of the site will allow them to achieve their goal without manipulation, instead altering the language, style, color, or other design elements to evoke an emotion or manipulate the senses in order to persuade the user into a particular action.
Emotional or Sensory Manipulation
Illustration

Interaction Contexts

  • checkout
  • privacy

Harmed Goals

  • comprehension

Symbiosis

Bright alternatives to this dark pattern

  • Plain and Empowering Language
    Presents choices with neutral, respectful language that doesn't shame users for declining options or services.
    View pair →

Examples

Duolingo

Duolingo’s crying owl emails and redesigned mascot use exaggerated emotional cues
Duolingo’s crying owl emails and redesigned mascot use exaggerated emotional cues

Sources

Dark Pattern Ontology adapted from Gray et al. (CHI ’24)

Inferred

Pattern Levels

High-Level Patterns Strategy Domain & Context Diagnostic (abstract)

High-level patterns include general strategies that can be employed through a range of modalities and technologies and application types

Meso-Level Patterns Angle of Attack Domain & Context Diagnostic (interpretable)

Meso-level patterns describe a context-agnostic angle of attack and may be interpreted in relation to context based on the specific modality or application type

Low-Level Patterns Means of Execution Domain & Context Specific (situated)

Low-level patterns are situated and contextually dependent, including specific means of execution

Diagram: High (strategy, diagnostic), Meso (angle of attack, still diagnostic), Low (means of execution, context specific). Integrated textual descriptions appear within each layer.

Source not found.
Paul Bertram 2026
Impressum Datenschutz

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Sources

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Pattern Levels

High-Level Patterns Strategy Domain & Context Diagnostic (abstract)

High-level patterns include general strategies that can be employed through a range of modalities and technologies and application types

Meso-Level Patterns Angle of Attack Domain & Context Diagnostic (interpretable)

Meso-level patterns describe a context-agnostic angle of attack and may be interpreted in relation to context based on the specific modality or application type

Low-Level Patterns Means of Execution Domain & Context Specific (situated)

Low-level patterns are situated and contextually dependent, including specific means of execution

Diagram: High (strategy, diagnostic), Meso (angle of attack, still diagnostic), Low (means of execution, context specific). Integrated textual descriptions appear within each layer.