“Dark Patterns”: How Design Shapes Consumer Behavior

November 2026

Managing Principal Rene Befurt discusses dark patterns – deliberate design choices that allegedly impact user behavior – in consumer decision making online.

According to the commonly held definition of dark patterns, such design choices can put consumers shopping online at a disadvantage, while the company running the website where the consumer is shopping has an inherent advantage.

Dr. Befurt offers a more holistic view of decision making, and acknowledges that some instances of dark matter can actually help consumers. He suggests that robust market research and surveys, not assumptions, should be used to understand real consumer reactions in context.