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Evil by Design: Design patterns that lead us into temptation

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Evil by Design: Design patterns that lead us into temptation

Chris Nodder

Edited by

Mary James

Abstract

Evil by Design takes a tongue and cheek look at how web and application design can be used to exploit psychological principles to persuade us to act. The book is arranged in chapters following the seven deadly sins, with the relevant design patterns aligned under the headings of Sloth, Pride, Envy, Greed, Lust, Anger and Gluttony. Features include:

  • Examples of evil designs from around the Web. Explanation of how each one works and why we fall for it.

  • Introduction to the psychology of persuasion explains how our brains are wired to respond to certain sales techniques.

  • How-to steps to replicate these patterns on your own site. Learn how to use the same principles either for good or evil.

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Introduction
Learning from the best
Defining evil design
Human weakness: the seven deadly sins, and how sites leverage them
1. Envy
Manufacturing envy through desire and aspiration
Create desirability to produce envy
How you can use this:
Create something aspirational
How you can use this:
Make people feel ownership before they’ve bought
How you can use this:
Status envy: demonstrating achievement and importance
Create status differences to drive behavior
How you can use this:
Emphasize achievement as a form of status
How you can use this:
Encourage payment as an alternative to achievement
How you can use this:
Let users advertise their status
How you can use this:
How you can use this:
2. Sloth
Desire lines: from A to B with as few barriers as possible
Path of least resistance
How to design for the Path of Least Resistance:
Reduced options and smart defaults smooth the decision process
Provide fewer options
How to design for Fewer Options:
Pre-pick your preferred option
How to design for Preferred Options:
Make options hard to find or understand
How to design for Opt-out Obfuscation:
Negative options: don’t not sign up!
How to design for Negative Options:
3. Gluttony
Deserving our rewards
Make customers work for a reward
How you can use this:
Consider a small reward rather than a big one
How you can use this:
Hide the math
How you can use this:
Show the problems
How you can use this:
Escalating commitment: foot-in-the-door, door in the face
Foot-in-the-door
How you can use this:
Door-in-the-face
How you can use this:
Present hard decisions only after investment
How you can use this:
Invoking gluttony with scarcity and loss aversion
Tom Sawyer Effect
How you can use this:
Instill doubt to prevent cancellations
How you can use this:
Impatience leads to compliance
How you can use this:
4. Pride
Misplaced pride causes cognitive dissonance
Provide reasons for people to use
How you can use this:
Social Proof: Using messages from friends to make it personal and emotional
Dispel doubt by repeating positive messages
How you can use this:
Personal messages hit home
How you can use this:
Gain public commitment to a decision
How you can use this:
Change opinions by emphasizing general similarities
How you can use this:
Use images of certification and endorsement
How you can use this:
Closure: the appeal of completeness and desire for order
Help people complete a set
How you can use this:
Pander to people’s desire for order
How you can use this:
5. Evil By Design
The Machiavelli model
Should you feel bad about deception?
Deception helps this cute kid sleep well at night
Deception helps the elderly and infirm stay safe
Should you feel bad using the principles in this book?
It’s OK to make money
It’s easier to make money from happy customers
Awareness is half the battle
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Evil by Design: Design patterns that lead us into temptation

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Site last updated on: October 22, 2012 at 06:44:11 AM PDT
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