Dark Patterns Symbiosis Bright Patterns
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Hidden Information

Hidden Information subverts the user’s expectation that relevant information will be made accessible and visible, instead disguising relevant information or framing it as irrelevant
Hidden Information
Illustration

Interaction Contexts

  • checkout
  • privacy

Harmed Goals

  • transparency
  • comprehension
  • control

Symbiosis

Bright alternatives to this dark pattern

  • Explainability
    Provides clear, transparent information about system processes, data usage, and decision-making logic.
    View pair →

Examples

Selfmade Example

The user is presented many plans with varying cost and complex feature structure.
The user is presented many plans with varying cost and complex feature structure.

Sources

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

Direct
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.

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Paul Bertram 2026
Impressum Datenschutz

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Sources

A list of all sources used across the site. Click an entry to open the full reference.

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.