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In this world, there are three types of design: good, not so good, and absolutely evil. That last category is very much a real thing. It goes way beyond anything that just mildly irritates you—this is the kind that makes you want to track down whoever approved it and hold them personally accountable, because the audacity is truly unmatched.
Sadly, that’s rarely an option. So the next best thing is venting, and there’s a whole subreddit dedicated to doing exactly that. We’ve gone ahead and rounded up some of the most infuriating examples from it below—scroll down to see them, but fair warning: your calmness is about to be tested.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Fake "Important" Junk Mail
RELATED:
#2
You Have To Pay To Unsubscribe From This Company
#3
Plastic Is The New Paper!
The sad truth is that a lot of so-called “evil” design exists entirely on purpose. It’s built to nudge people into doing what companies want, and that almost always means spending money.
Much of this happens on websites and apps, where it goes by a fitting name: dark patterns, or deceptive patterns. These are sneaky design tricks that get users to do things they never actually meant to do, like signing up for something they didn’t want or paying charges they didn’t notice.
#4
Designed For Dissuading The Homeless. Literally Just Uncomfortable For Everyone Else
#5
I Guess Apples Have Advertisements On Them Now
#6
College Board Charging $12 Per School To Send Your Test Scores Electronically
Then an extra $31 if you want them to receive them within 1-2 business days. They’re electronic (not actual shipping). They make you pay to send a test you already paid over $50 to take.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 17 hours ago
About on par with concert tickets these days if you do the math.
The term was coined by user experience designer Harry Brignull on July 28, 2010, when he launched darkpatterns.org, a “pattern library with the specific goal of naming and shaming deceptive user interfaces.”
So what does this actually look like in practice? Well, one common dark pattern is called bait-and-switch. This is when something gets advertised as free or heavily discounted, but when you go to get it, it’s either out of stock or barely available. Then the page conveniently shows you pricier options instead.
#7
Apparently My Samsung Fridge Has Ads Now
#8
We Can't Even Pump Fuel Anymore Without Holding A Digital Billboard (Netherlands)
#9
The Fact That You Can't Uninstall Facebook On Certain Phones
Another one many people have likely fallen for at some point is drip pricing. It starts with a nice low price, and then extra fees and taxes keep appearing the further you get into the checkout.
By the time you see the real total, you’ve already spent so much time on it that you just go ahead anyway. Hotel bookings and airline tickets are probably the most well-known examples of this.
#10
They Replaced Half The Mirrors In My Local Shopping Mall's Bathroom With Advertising Boards!
#11
Pearson
#12
Both Weigh 500g But The Green One Is In A 30% "Bigger Bag More To Share"
Then there’s misdirection, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Something in the design distracts you just long enough for something else to happen without you noticing.
A good example is when you install a program and it sneakily installs other stuff alongside it or changes your default search engine without ever really asking.
#13
So, Instead Of Using The Dime That You Originally Have To Feed A Child, You Spent 37 Cents To Send It To Me, Then Another 37 Cents For Me To Send It, So You Can Use The Dime That You Originally Had, To Feed A Child?
Zig Zag Wanderer 16 hours ago
It's worth it to get your details. Then they will hassle you to the grave.
#14
This Is Just Pathetic
#15
This Floor Tiling That Supermarkets In My City Have Now
A certain supermarket chain went through rebranding and is now changing all floor tiling to this. Yes, this is on purpose. Yes, it being uneven is ALSO on purpose. All of this is outlined in a brandbook. Basically, it's specifically designed to be uncomfortable to look at to draw shoppers' gaze to the shelves to increases sales. Guess what, they're about to lose sales because this gives me migraines.
TotallyNOTAFox 15 hours ago (edited)
From the battleships of World War 1 to supermarkets 110 years later the Dazzle Camouflage™ stays effective....
Perhaps the most infuriating one of all is something called the Roach Motel. The name says it all: easy to get in, nearly impossible to get out. Companies make signing up for a subscription quick and simple, then hide the cancel option so well it’s almost impossible to find.
Some have made users email customer support just to cancel. Others, not too long ago, actually required customers to send a cancellation request by postal mail, according to Ironhack. Yes, really.
#16
They "Cannot Guarantee" The Product Description Of The 1.3k Dollar Laptop Theyre Selling Is Accurate Because They Used Chatgpt To Write It
Colleen Glim 18 hours ago
Or you could have gotten an employee that you’re already paying to take five minutes and write a description you could guarantee?
#17
And The Award Of Jerk Design Of The Century Goes Too
#18
Yesterday It Is Announced At$t Got Hit With A $60 Million Fine. Today I Get This On My Account
The good news is that regulators are catching up. In many countries, manipulative tactics are being made illegal.
In the EU, for example, the Digital Services Act, which came into effect in 2024, banned dark patterns, including those subscription traps. It now requires that canceling a service be just as easy as signing up for one. A long time coming, but a welcome change.
#19
Hopefully This Counts
#20
Fake Suspicious Activity Alert
#21
Contains Vitamins B3, B6, B12, And Zinc, Except It Doesn't Contain Those
That said, companies finding ways to influence what people buy is nothing new. It goes back further than most people realize. Edward Bernays (1891–1995), an Austrian-American pioneer widely credited as the father of public relations, was already doing this back in the 1920s.
He’s largely the reason women started smoking publicly. Before that decade, it was considered socially unacceptable for women to smoke, which from a cigarette company’s perspective meant an entire half of the population was an untapped market.
#22
My Car Is Getting Advertisements Now?
Colleen Glim 18 hours ago
It was only a matter of time. Those bloody touchscreens are dangerous for so many reasons
#23
I Canceled My Account Immediately After Getting This Email
#24
Dave & Busters Spin Game Landed On The 500 And It Only Gave Me 4 Tickets. Showed To Manager And Said It Needed To Be In The Middle
So Bernays hired female models to march through the New York City Easter Parade while smoking, framing cigarettes as symbols of liberation and equality. He called them “torches of freedom.” It worked.
That was a hundred years ago, and just one of many campaigns he ran. The tactics have only gotten more sophisticated since then, with companies continuously finding new and smarter ways to influence people and sell as much as possible.
#25
I Can't Buy Single Use Plastic Bags At The Supermarket Anymore, But Companies Get Away With Things Like This
#26
Dislikes Helped You Know If A Video Was A Scam, Misleading Or Had False Information
#27
Hp Won't Let You Take The Still-Good Ink Cartridges From Your Broken Hp Printer And Put Them Into Your Next Hp Printer Of The Same Model
The most productive response to all of this is to simply educate ourselves on how these tactics work. The more people know they exist, the harder they are to fall for. And rather than just getting frustrated when we do spot them, calling them out actually matters.
Collective noise leads to real change, and dark patterns getting banned in parts of the world is proof of that. Hopefully, it won’t stop there.
#28
Home Listing Without Pool
#29
1001 Stickers And 768 Of Them Are Useless Squares. Thanks Disney
#30
Netflix Is Now Restricting Some Shows If You Have A Plan That Has Advertisements
Colleen Glim 18 hours ago
That is b*llshit. You’re already paying for the subscription and now you need to pay more? I cancelled Netflix years ago and I will not be signing up again
#31
Shein Puts A "Low Battery" Warning In The Middle Of Their Ad
Presumably to get you to click 'close' and it'll take you to the page to download the app. It didn't work on my because I have an android and I'm pretty sure that exact warning only comes up on IPhone.
#32
Wingstop Has A “¢70 Boneless Wings”deal That Comes Out To $13 For 10 Wings. In The Fine Print It Says Dip Isn’t Included (But Required For Purchase). That’s $6 For A Cup Of Mandatory Ranch
#33
Hellofresh. If I Don’t Need To Call To Make Orders, I Shouldn’t Need To Call To Unsubscribe
TotallyNOTAFox 15 hours ago (edited)
In the EU we have a law that states that unsubscribing has to be as easy as subscribing was - It it takes 2 clicks to get the service it has to only take 2 clicks to cancel it
#34
Mcdonalds App Will Sign You Out For Not Allowing Ad Tracking
#35
Literally Get Lost
#36
Bmw New Patented Screw-Head Designed To Limit Repairs To Authorized Dealers And Prevent Independent Servicing
Fungus John 17 hours ago (edited)
as if a mechanic with a shop full of tools can't knock something up to unscrew that.
#37
“Amc Theater Blocked Working Water Fountains With A Giant Display To Force People To Concessions For Drinks
#38
Can We All Agree Having To Pay For A Human Necessity Is A Major Jerk Design?
#39
I Love Ads On My £250 Console That I Continue To Pay £6 A Month To Play On
TotallyNOTAFox 16 hours ago
I honestly see no reason to invest in a console nowadays, they are basically PCs with extra costs for internet services attached to them nowadays
#40
An Air Freshener Sold On Facebook. It’s A Literal Scam
#41
Facebook Is Now Inputting Your Photos Into Meta AI Automatically By Default
#42
Zuck's Vision Of The Future Is Insane
#43
No Duolingo, You May Not Put An Ad For Your Subscription On My Lock Screen
HamsterGirl 4 hours ago
Thats why I don't enable notifications for Duolingo, they're annoying and consistent. They are so loud they'll wake you up in the middle of the night. Don't ask me why it sends me notifications at 2 am.
#44
My $200 Textbook Won’t Let Me Copy Paste More Than 84 Words To Make A Study Guide
#45
Vegas
#46
Just Blatantly A Trap If You’re Not Paying Attention 🙄
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 16 hours ago
Seriously? Probably a late night place counting on blurry eyed drunk people assuming the left most option is the cheapest.
#47
Hp Deliberately Adds 15 Minutes Waiting Time For Telephone Support Calls
#48
Amazon Echo Now Has To Send Recordings
Glen Ellyn 15 hours ago
I have no desire whatsoever to have an Alexa or whatever the other big one is. Never.
#49
Must Redeem Credit Card Points In Increments Of… 3,333?
#50
Paying A “Digital Delivery Fee” For A Rented Pdf Textbook 🤨
#51
Sony Was Granted A Patent To Make A TV That Will Only Stop Showing A Commercial Once You Stand Up And Say The Brand Name Out Loud
MedusaWasBeautiful 17 hours ago
They have the patent, and are not using it to prevent others from the implementation of such tactics.
#52
I Paid $55 To Remove The Company Watermark They Put On The Face, Just To Have Them Put Their Logo On The Printed Copy
#53
I Have To Pay In Order To Get Rid Of The Snapchat AI
#54
Bank Makes You Call To Payoff A Loan So They Can Include A $23 "Convenience Fee"
#55
Legislation That Convienently Excludes Politicians
TotallyNOTAFox 15 hours ago (edited)
The law failed due to a lack of support, mainly from Germany, Austria, Poland and the Netherlands with the reason that a reasonless mass-control of communications would infringe with privacy laws. How such a law would turn out in action can be seen in the UK
#56
Google Puts A Scam Website At The Top Of The Search And My Mom Fell For It
Glen Ellyn 15 hours ago
This is why I immediately scroll past anything that says "sponsored." But then, I don't use google and haven't for years. It's DuckDuckGo always.
#57
Oven Air Fryer Function Refuses To Work Without WiFi Connection. Ge Profile Pts700sn. Do Not Buy
#58
Contrado Raises Their Prices In Order To Negate Their 25% Student Discount
#59
So I Have To Pay To Delete My Song Faster?
TotallyNOTAFox 15 hours ago (edited)
I think there are copyright laws that can get the song off the platform way faster if presented to them, especially the fees they have to pay for distributing it without permission
#60
Academia.edu Quietly Jacked Up Their Annual Price From $99 To $499 With One Buried Email Sent A Week Before Charging
#61
Fiverr Now *requires* Tips Of At Least $5
#62
Popeyes Doesn’t Let You Use Your Entire Gift Card Balance
#63
Google Has Automatically Opted Its Users Into Having All Emails Scanned By And Used To Train AI. Can Be Opted Out Very Meticulously
#65
Netflix Ad Supported Plan Implies They Have Films On Their Higher Tiers That They Don't Actually Have
#66
Nooooo Way
David Morgan 17 hours ago
Dail Mail fails once again. This 'story' is nonsense - the company who is 'making' these seats says they were only ever a CGI render, and have never been made in any way, let alone submitted for testing. It amazes me that anyone reads that rag.
#67
Reddit Allows Promoting Literal Scams
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