UX Wars?

Hey, it's Kushagra. Welcome to this week’s AtlasMoth drop.

Yesterday, I got an email that said, "Your free trial is ending—click here to cancel anytime."
I clicked. It sent me through five screens, a password reset, a guilt-trip survey, and finally… a page asking if I was sure.

That’s not friction. It’s a dark pattern when design stops helping users and starts tricking them.

In this issue, we're breaking down how these patterns sneak into products, why they're bad for trust, and what ethical design looks like.

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This wild force runs in all apps and sites, it’s how our brains work.

From scrolls on your phone to high-tech VR gear, it’s all built to mess (or vibe) with your mind.

But just like that, the core of UX, this mind play, has two sides.

On one side, you have the good stuff: soft nudges that help you do what you want.
On the flip side, sneaky tricks are used to get clicks, time, or cash.

But tbh... It's not that black and white.

We’ll break it down.

So... what are dark tricks?

Dark tricks (yep, that’s what we call them) are moves that mess with your head to make you tap, sign up, or buy stuff you don’t want.

Some slick devs use these tricks to steer your choice not in a chill way, but in a “wait, did I just agree to that!” way.

Here are a few that hit hard:

Fake Ad Vibes — Looks like real news or a blog? Nope. It’s just an ad dressed up to sell you stuff.

"Hurry! Ends Soon!" — They make you think time’s short or stock’s low, so you rush to buy. Chill, it’s not that deep.

Call it what you want: dark tricks, shady moves, sneaky UI.

So… what’s a nudge?

It’s a soft push. Not a shove. Just a smart way to help folks choose with brain stuff baked in.

Some call it "behavioural science" or “insights,” but all of it aims for the same thing: change what folks do in a chill, not shady way.

There are a bunch of ways to plan this out. Lots of big charts and deep dives.
But tbh, one I vibe with most? MINDSPACE.

It’s a clean, no-fluff guide with 9 brain hacks to help steer folks the right way, no guilt trips, no stress.

Alright, here’s the MINDSPACE cheat sheet:

👤 Who Says It (Messenger)
We vibe more with folks we trust or look up to. So, who tells us stuff? That hits.

💸 Loss Hits Hard (Incentives)
We hate to lose more than we love to win. Wild, right? Loss = big push.

👀 What They Do (Norms)
If everyone is doing it, we might just do it too. Blame FOMO or just wantin’ to fit in.

☑️ Set Path (Defaults)
If it’s pre-picked or set as “best,” we probs won’t change it. We just roll with it.

✨ Look! That! (Salience)
We lock in on what feels made just for us — like “yo, this speaks to me.”

🌀 Subtle Hints (Priming)
A vibe, a word, a look — stuff we don’t even think about can guide what we do.

💓 Feels First (Affect)
Our moods and feelings? They steer us way more than we think. Good vibe = yes, please.

🤝 Keep Your Word (Commitments)
If we say we’ll do it, or if someone does us a solid, we wanna show up too.

🪞 Boost the Self (Ego)
We move in ways that make us feel good. Like, “yeah, I am that person.”

For example, a brand you trust (messenger) tells you most folks (norm) who stay in the hotel (salience) reuse their towels to help the planet (ego).

You can mix these moves and test them out with data tools to see what works best.

It’s not just for policy change, either.
Governments use nudges to get folks to quit bad habits (like smoking) or do better things (like stop dropping trash). But guess what? Brands use them too.

Like, we’re way more likely to buy a sale item after seeing the “regular” price, ‘cause that higher price makes the deal look way sweeter. It’s all part of the nudge game.

But why do nudges get the “good guy” pass, while dark tricks get called out as shady?

It all comes down to why you do it: Intent, real help, smooth flow, and user-first always.

Nudges come from paternal libertarianism — gentle guidance toward good stuff (like health or saving money) without force.

If it helps you and plays fair, even from a biz, it’s a nudge, not a trick.

🙃 The Sad Truth

And you, not all folks in UX are out here tryna build Death Stars.
Lots of peeps wanna do good,
but get stuck in money talks, tight goals, and boss calls.
They bend the truth to keep their job.
They’re not bad guys — just stuck in the game.