"Dark Patterns" in Technology Practices: Challenges and Opportunities

"Dark Patterns" in Technology Practices: Challenges and Opportunities
Thursday, September 26th at 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM ET.
This is an online event.

When conducting design activity, knowledge of user needs and human psychology is generally framed as a means of generating empathy or reducing the divide between humans and technology. However, this knowledge also has the potential to be used for nefarious purposes.

In this talk, Colin shares findings from over seven years of their work on “dark patterns”—one example where design knowledge is used against users. Colin will share current definitions of dark patterns, emerging legislation banning specific types of deceptive or manipulative practices, and examples of how designers can fight back.

About our speaker: Colin Gray

Colin M. Gray is an Associate Professor at Indiana University where they are program director in Human-Computer Interaction design. They hold appointments as Guest Professor at Beijing Normal University and Visiting Researcher at Newcastle University. Their research focuses on the ways in which the pedagogy and practice of designers informs the development of design ability, particularly in relation to dark patterns, ethics, and design knowledge. Colin’s work crosses multiple disciplines, including human-computer interaction, instructional design and technology, policy and law, design theory and education, and engineering and technology education. In their free time, Colin loves to travel, cook, and shoot photographs (follow me on Instagram @colinmgray)!

Connect with Colin:
X/Twitter: @graydesign
LinkedIn
Research sites: https://colingray.me/ and https://uxp2.com/

This is an online event.