Signup Flow Teardown: Spot the Dark Patterns Before Legal Does
Objective: Given 3 screens from a synthetic subscription signup and cancellation flow, identify which UI decisions are dark patterns under the FTC's 2022 framework versus which are legitimate, aggressive-but-fair growth tactics.
You're the growth lead reviewing a proposed redesign of Halo Top's DTC subscription box signup and cancel flow before it ships, three weeks after the design team optimized it for conversion.
Walk each of the 3 screens through the lesson's fake-scarcity, referral-mechanics, and asymmetric-effort traps, and flag real defects versus legitimate urgency.
Before you start
What you'll need
Free path (everything below is enough to finish)
Free, easy to share with legal or compliance for a real pre-launch review
The process
Specimens to review
Is this banner a legitimate scarcity lever or a dark pattern? Cite the specific fact being asserted.
Screen 1, product page banner: 'Only 3 subscription boxes left at this price!' The counter is hardcoded in the page template and resets to 3 on every page refresh, regardless of actual inventory or subscriber count.
Specimen: synthetic, realistic
Does this referral mechanic cross the line, and if so, on what specific claim?
Screen 2, referral share modal: headline reads 'Give $20, Get $20' but the fine print (a 9pt gray link below the button) reveals the referred friend receives store credit that expires in 14 days, not the $20 cash-value discount implied by the headline.
Specimen: synthetic, realistic
Apply the lesson's second ethics question to this flow: is the cost of reversing the action equal to the cost of taking it?
Screen 3, account settings: signup is a single 'Start my box' button. Cancellation requires clicking 'Manage Subscription', then 'Account Settings', then calling a phone number only staffed weekdays 9-5, where a retention agent must approve the cancellation before it takes effect.
Specimen: synthetic, realistic
Final deliverable
A 3-row defect log: screen, defect, severity, which of the 3 framework questions it fails, and the fix.
See a reference example
MVMT pre-launch flow review (excerpt) SCREEN: watch-band size guide upsell modal DEFECT: 'Add protective case, only 12 in stock' counter is static across all sessions, never decrements SEVERITY: critical FAILS QUESTION: 'Is the underlying fact true?' FIX: Wire the counter to real inventory or remove the number entirely and keep the upsell copy without a fabricated count.
Success criteria
You're done when you can:
- Flags all 3 real defects, not just the most obvious one
- Cites the specific fact or asymmetry each defect violates, not a generic 'feels sketchy'
- Does not flag either distractor as a defect