Anti-UX: Intentionally Confusing Design

UX Design, just like any other technological field, is always evolving and being thoroughly crafted following user's expectation and functionality. In fact, it is getting to a point where a lot of interfaces are starting to look somewhat the same and users are becoming increasingly more used to certain patterns. However, those user expectations open up enormous possibilities, as emotions and impressions can be predicted and, therefore, used towards a certain goal.

This is called Anti-UX, intentionally not following usability guidelines and principles, potentially misleading, confusing or disrupting the user experience with a specific goal in mind. To understand intentionally confusing design, it's crucial to first examine how users engage with and interpret interfaces, and consequently how it can be used.

Cognitive Assumptions of UX Design

According to Jakob's Law, users prefer applications or websites that have similar functionalities and interactions to the products they are familiar with. In fact, users create mental models based on their previous interactions, and anything new demands more energy to be accepted.

There are many patterns that are second nature to users, such as a close button to be located on the top of the page (either left or right), or even elements that are colored bright-red to mean warning or alert. Breaking such patterns can cause a variety of consequences, including fatigue and frustration. However, not all user expectation disruption is bad, as it can sometimes lead to innovative design and challenge the User Interface status quo.

For instance, not a long time ago, Apple updated iPhone Safari application's top navigation bar and placed it at the bottom of the screen. This design direction went completely against the design pattern of internet browsers, as all applications would have their navigation bar on the top. By placing it on the bottom though, users had easier and faster access to the navigation bar with their thumbs, which positively impacts the overall experience and app flow, while also causing a slight strange sensation using it for the first few days.

A quite interesting usage of Cognitive Assumptions in a very fun and chaotic way can be found on the game/website “User Inyerface". In this website, everything is displayed weirdly and purposefully designed against every user expectation or mental model, such as green buttons with "no” written or even underlined/bold text written "click”, although it is not a link. In a satirical manner, this website mocks poorly made websites and how it can use Anti-UX to different goals, including measuring how people respond to different interfaces and have fun.

Manipulative Design Patterns

Just as green buttons with "no” copy, it is possible to use user expectations and mental models to manipulate certain interactions. "Dark UX", as it is normally called, is the unethical exploitation of user expectations or "dark patterns” for profit. This approach to design can harm user empowerment by treating individuals as mere data points, raising ethical concerns.

There is a wide range of "Dark Patterns” used across websites, such as the Roach Motel (easy to get in and hard to get out or cancel/unsubscribe), Confirmshaming (making the users feel guilty for opting out of the service through the website copy), Misdirection (making the visual hierarchy lead the user to an unintended action).

Many users have encountered some form of “Dark UX” while browsing the web—interfaces intentionally designed to manipulate user behavior—often leading to frustration once the manipulation becomes apparent. In some cases, however, the deception is so subtle and well-executed that users may not realize they’ve been misled, or may even believe the error was their own.

LinkedIn exemplifies this tactic through the design and placement of its "Connect" and "Follow" buttons. On most profiles, the "Connect" button appears prominently at the top of the page, encouraging users to build professional relationships. However, on the profiles of influencers or high-profile individuals, LinkedIn allows users to replace the "Connect" button with a visually identical "Follow" button, placed in the same position.This deliberate design choice often causes users to mistakenly follow a profile when they intended to connect. Following a profile means the user can see the person's public posts, but the interaction is one-sided—the followed user does not see the follower’s content.

In contrast, a connection is mutual, allowing for two-way content visibility and interaction.By leading users down an unintended path, LinkedIn subtly increases follower counts and engagement metrics—valuable for the platform—without overwhelming high-profile users with connection requests. While beneficial to LinkedIn’s growth strategy, this tactic misguides users and prioritizes platform metrics over user intent.

Creative Narrative Tools

Anti-UX can be used for many things, not just for “evil” purposes and intentions. The friction it causes can be a creative tool in a designer's box, as friction can be part of an underlying message, interaction or overall aesthetics in websites, more commonly used in art and niche web experiences. In fact, Anti-UX patterns can make visuals be more memorable or impactful as it stands out from the rest, creating a bit of rebellious nature to the design and challenging the current state of design.

There are many examples of Anti-UX used in current websites, a few examples are:

• The Art Concierge - As an art gallery and curation, their website consists of striking entrance animation, a lot of elements moving around, images going over headlines, which then change styles, and elements placed on unusual and impactful locations. The Art Concierge is more focused on the impact of their visual on the user than pure functionality.

• Charles Leclerc - The Ferrari's Formula 1 driver has a website displaying his history and news. Where users have to scroll through different cards placed in unorthodox locations, going past key parts of his history in a quite fast and disorienting fashion, with the goal of simulating the driver's experience in the fastest car in the world. The focus is on the underlying message rather than pleasing user's expectations.

• Wright Ferry Mansion - A historic house museum website that tries to emulate the sensation of flipping the pages of a book, by making the Home page with a long horizontal scroll instead of the traditional vertical scroll.

Conclusion

Anti-UX is a fascinating area of design that, when applied thoughtfully and ethically, can enhance product effectiveness and create memorable experiences. While its manipulative potential necessitates careful consideration, anti-UX can also drive innovation and lead to more distinctive products, ultimately enriching the market.