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Home / Sessions / Shedding Light on Dark Patterns: A Case Study on Digital Harms

Shedding Light on Dark Patterns: A Case Study on Digital Harms

IAC 2021 /

Time(s)

April 28, 2021
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM CT

The Live Q&A for this talk will begin as soon as the livestream ends.  In the event the livestream runs over, the Live Q&A and any follow-up conversation will continue inon the Discord channel for this talk.

Location

Virtual

Description

You’ve been there before. You thought you could trust someone with a secret. You thought it would be safe, but found out later that they blabbed to everyone. Or maybe they didn’t share it, but the way they used it felt manipulative. You gave more than you got and it didn’t feel fair. But now that it’s out there, do you even have control anymore?

Ok. Now imagine that person was your supermarket. Or your bank. Or your boss.

As designers of digital spaces for consumer products and services, how often do we consider the relationship we have with our customers? What does they need to know about us and what do we need to know about them before we can say we are “in a relationship”?

  • Are we spying on our users? Do they know what information we are collecting about them? Or how we collect that information?
  • Are we manipulating users? How much information is really needed? Are we gathering more than we need, just because we can? Are we using it to force actions the users wouldn’t normally make?
  • Are we keeping our promises? Are we being good custodians of our user’s information? Who are we sharing it with? Do we know what they do with our user’s information?
  • Are we designing dark patterns without knowing it? Also, is the term “Dark Pattern” itself a dark pattern?

In this talk, Noreen Whysel will discuss a framework for evaluating the relationship that digital technologies have with consumers and the digital harms and dark (or anti-) patterns that, whether we know it or not, violate that relationship. You will come away with an understanding of how to determine that what you are creating is fair, secure and in the user’s control. And that your relationship will be sound, respectful and long lasting.

About the speakers

Noreen Whysel
Noreen Whysel

Noreen is a Brooklyn-based UX researcher, information architect and teacher. She has over 25 years of experience, specializing in designing understandable information spaces, digital archives, and data and usability standards. Her recent research includes the effect of climate change on healthcare access by vulnerable populations, accessible science gateways and user perceptions of online data privacy.

She is an active member of several tech standards groups including the W3C (IA, COGA and Voice Interaction CGs), Kantara Institute (RIUP and PEMC WGs), UXPA ISO review and Internet Safety Labs where she is works on digital safety specifications. She is COO of Decision Fish, providing standards consulting, start up mentoring and research services. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at CUNY New York City College of Technology.

Sponsor IAC

We’re looking for organizations who share our commitment to building and sustaining programs that drive a more inclusive industry. Learn more on the Sponsor IAC23 page or contact us directly at info@theiaconference.com for more information.

Thanks to this year’s sponsors!

Logo for sponsor Optimal Workshop
Platinum sponsor
Optimal Workshop
Logo for sponsor Factor Firm
Gold sponsor
Factor Firm
Logo for sponsor Last Call Media
Silver sponsor
Last Call Media
Logo for sponsor Design for Context
Scholarship sponsor
Design for Context

Logo for sponsor A Book Apart
In-Kind sponsor
A Book Apart
Logo for sponsor Balsamiq
In-Kind sponsor
Balsamiq
Logo for sponsor MURAL
In-Kind sponsor
MURAL
Logo for sponsor Rosenfeld Media
In-Kind sponsor
Rosenfeld Media
Logo for sponsor UX Camp DC
Community sponsor
UX Camp DC
Logo for sponsor World IA Day
Community sponsor
World IA Day

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