Disruptive Design: Harmful Patterns and Bad Practice

A presentation at From Business To Buttons 2019 in in Stockholm, Sweden by Laura Kalbag

Disruptive Design: Harmful Patterns and Bad Practice

Disruptive Design: Harmful Patterns and Bad Practice

aut neca aut necare, either kill or be killed

aut neca aut necare, either kill or be killed

Disruption

Disruption

Disruption or destruction

Disruption or destruction

Terminology matters.

Terminology matters.

Engagement

Engagement

Engagement or addiction

Engagement or addiction

Hooked by Nir Eyal, ‘How to Build Habit-Forming Products’

Hooked by Nir Eyal, ‘How to Build Habit-Forming Products’

Dear tech industry, we have problems.

Dear tech industry, we have problems.

Pattern 1: Low contrast text

Pattern 1: Low contrast text

85.3% of homepages have text contrast issues.

85.3% of homepages have text contrast issues.

Low contrast text affects…

Low contrast text affects…

Pattern 1: Low contrast text

Pattern 1: Low contrast text

Low text contrast is easily avoidable.

Low text contrast is easily avoidable.

Stéphanie Walter’s Tips to Create an Accessible and Contrasted Color Palette

Stéphanie Walter’s Tips to Create an Accessible and Contrasted Color Palette

Geri Coady’s Color Accessibility Workflows

Geri Coady’s Color Accessibility Workflows

Pattern 1: Low contrast text

Pattern 1: Low contrast text

Inclusive or accessible?

Inclusive or accessible?

Accessible design

Accessible design

Inclusive design

Inclusive design

Inclusion

Inclusion

Pattern 2: CAPTCHA

Pattern 2: CAPTCHA

“Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”

“Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”

4.25% of sites use CAPTCHA.

4.25% of sites use CAPTCHA.

2,113,153 sites use reCAPTCHA.

2,113,153 sites use reCAPTCHA.

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff.

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff.

😬

😬

Pattern 2: CAPTCHA

Pattern 2: CAPTCHA

Pattern 2: CAPTCHA

Pattern 2: CAPTCHA

Pattern 3: Profiling

Pattern 3: Profiling

Profiling props up the majority of today’s “Big Tech.”

Profiling props up the majority of today’s “Big Tech.”

Google

Google

YouTube

YouTube

Facebook

Facebook

Yahoo!

Yahoo!

Amazon

Amazon

Instagram

Instagram

“I like relevant advertising.”

“I like relevant advertising.”

When maximising clicks to maximise profit reinforces social inequities, what does mean for tech’s dominant funding models?

When maximising clicks to maximise profit reinforces social inequities, what does mean for tech’s dominant funding models?

Web-based tracking is just the beginning…

Web-based tracking is just the beginning…

Smart dildo…

Smart dildo…

The cost of using technology should not be our personal data, our privacy, our power, control or agency.

The cost of using technology should not be our personal data, our privacy, our power, control or agency.

Privacy is not about hiding, it’s about having power and agency over how your information is used.

Privacy is not about hiding, it’s about having power and agency over how your information is used.

This is an inclusivity issue.

This is an inclusivity issue.

One person’s relevant advertising is another person’s grounds for discrimination.

One person’s relevant advertising is another person’s grounds for discrimination.

Privacy is not a low cost for convenience.

Privacy is not a low cost for convenience.

Pattern 3: Profiling

Pattern 3: Profiling

Big tech will not be reformed.

Big tech will not be reformed.

Find your power.

Find your power.

Google walkout organizers say they’re facing retaliation

Google walkout organizers say they’re facing retaliation

We need new models.

We need new models.

Success criteria

Success criteria

Better isn’t always good enough.

Better isn’t always good enough.

Pattern 3: Profiling

Pattern 3: Profiling

Everybody’s doing it.

Everybody’s doing it.

You can make change but change is not easy.

You can make change but change is not easy.

1: Be different.

1: Be different.

2: Be the advisor.

2: Be the advisor.

3: Be the advocate.

3: Be the advocate.

4: Be the questioner.

4: Be the questioner.

5: Be the gatekeeper.

5: Be the gatekeeper.

6: Be difficult.

6: Be difficult.

7: Be unprofessional.

7: Be unprofessional.

8: Be the supporter.

8: Be the supporter.

Nothing is inevitable.

Nothing is inevitable.

Disrupt the disrupters.

Disrupt the disrupters.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Why does every app use the similar interactions? Why does every homepage look so similar? Often we find ourselves using particular design patterns because other organisations use them. We assume they’ve done the research, and these patterns can be our shortcut to success. But what if those patterns actually cause harm? What if they have a negative effect on the inclusivity and accessibility of our designs?

In this talk, Laura examines and challenge design patterns we use in the industry today, along with the assumptions and practices behind them. Let’s work to do better, and have a positive impact with what we create.

Video

Resources

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