# Check my design for dark patterns and manipulative UX

Reviews a flow for deceptive or coercive patterns, explains user and regulatory risk, and suggests honest alternatives that still meet the goal.

- Topic: Product & UX Design
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Design, Analyze, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/check-my-design-for-dark-patterns-and-manipulative-ux

## Prompt

```text
Review my design for dark patterns and manipulative UX.

**Flow to review:** [e.g. signup, pricing page, cancellation, cookie consent, checkout]
**Description of each screen:** [CONTENT, BUTTONS, DEFAULTS, COPY - paste or describe]
**Business goal behind it:** [e.g. reduce churn, increase opt-ins]
**Markets we serve:** [e.g. US, EU, UK, India]

Check for common patterns, including: confirmshaming, pre-ticked boxes or opt-out defaults, hidden costs revealed late, forced continuity (free trial that silently converts), roach motel (easy to join, hard to cancel), disguised ads, false urgency or scarcity, nagging, trick wording or double negatives, visual interference (making the honest option hard to see), and privacy zuckering (nudging people to share more data than they intend).

For each issue found, give: the screen and element, the pattern name, why it harms users, the risk level (trust, complaints, regulatory), and an honest alternative that still supports the business goal.

Also note where consumer protection or privacy rules in my markets commonly apply (e.g. consent requirements, easy cancellation rules) as general information only, and tell me to confirm specifics with legal counsel. Return a findings table, the 3 most urgent fixes, and a one-paragraph summary I can share with my PM.
```

## What to fill in

- CONTENT, BUTTONS, DEFAULTS, COPY - paste or describe
- e.g. reduce churn, increase opt-ins
- e.g. US, EU, UK, India

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.