Classmate: Jasmine Chapman
Task 10: Attention Economy
Link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/jasminechapmanetec540/2025/03/16/attention-economy-the-most-annoying-thing/
In their post, Jazz shares their frustration with the deceptive design elements of the “game,” which employ “dark patterns” to confuse users and manipulate their choices. They highlight various usability challenges, such as misleading buttons, hidden instructions, and an irritating timer, all of which made the activity difficult and stressful. Despite these frustrations, they reflect on how the experience revealed how often people blindly interact with interfaces, like clicking on terms and conditions without reading them. They connect this to their teaching practice, emphasizing the importance of clarity in instructions and suggesting that the activity could help their students think critically about user-friendly design and the role of language in communication.
I completely agree with Jazz’s assessment of the game’s frustrating design and how it challenges users to reevaluate their interactions with technology. Like them, I struggled with the hidden buttons and misleading instructions, which seemed deliberately designed to confuse and frustrate. I also felt the pressure of the timer, which left little room for careful decision-making, making the experience all the more overwhelming.
What resonated most with me was Jazz’s connection to real-world usability and communication. As they pointed out, the clarity and precision of instructions are crucial in fields like hospitality or design. I agree that this exercise could be a valuable tool for teaching students to think critically about how people perceive and interact with information. Their suggestion to incorporate this activity into assignments, like creating posters or webpages, is an excellent idea that emphasizes the importance of user-centered design.
I found their connection between the exercise and the theoretical underpinnings of usability design particularly insightful. They emphasize how “dark patterns” exploit human psychology to manipulate user behavior, highlighting the ethical considerations inherent in design choices. This aligns with the course’s emphasis on critical analysis and thoughtful reflection about the technologies we interact with daily.
By engaging with Jazz’s post, I hope to extend the conversation and underline the valuable lessons this activity can teach us—both about the pitfalls of confusing design and the need for clarity in our own work. It’s a reminder that every design choice we make has the potential to impact someone else’s experience, for better or worse.