Task 10: Attention Economy
User Inyerface by Bagaar (2019) is a clever, satirical web game that exposes how “dark patterns” (Brignull, 2011) can manipulate users through misleading design. Although it looks like a normal registration form, every step is intentionally confusing, forcing players to experience how deceptive interfaces exploit our habits and attention.
One design trick that stood out to me was the misleading button placement. The grey “Continue” button looked disabled, while the real progress button was hidden under unrelated text. I clicked the wrong one several times before realizing it. Another frustrating example was the lock screen box! If I paused for just a few seconds, a pop-up appeared, forcing me to “lock” or “unlock” the screen. The only way to close it was to click the tiny grey “@close2025,” which looked nothing like a button. This kind of deceptive cue made me realise how design can manipulate users into acting out of confusion rather than intention.
Even though I finished the game in eight minutes (helped by having played before), I still felt frustration and a lack of control. These feelings made me think about my own role as a lesson designer. In the classroom, I also guide students’ attention through visual and interactive choices. This game reminded me that ethical design means helping learners focus and think clearly, not trapping them in confusion.
Moving forward, I want to design lessons that are transparent, intuitive, and respectful of students’ time and thinking process, whether it’s an online quiz, a Google Classroom activity, or a Wayground task. Just like ethical web design, good lesson design builds trust and encourages genuine engagement, not manipulation.
References
Bagaar. (2019). User Inyerface [web game]. Verhaert Digital Innovation. https://userinyerface.com/
Brignull, H. (2011). Dark patterns: Deception vs. honesty in UI design. A List Apart, (338). https://alistapart.com/article/dark-patterns-deception-vs-honesty-in-ui-design/