Contributing experts:
Valeria Kirylchyk, Sr. UX Designer
Katya Sevruk, Head of Digital Experience
at Coherent Solutions 
 

Manipulative UX tactics can lift short-term conversions, but they erode the one quality every product depends on: Trust. Dark patterns may seem clever, yet they create hidden debt as support costs grow, regulators intervene, and users leave.

At The Norm, the digital experience agency within Coherent Solutions, ethics are not constraints but part of the design foundation. Design decisions follow clear intent so that clarity, not manipulation, shapes engagement. 

As Katya Sevruk, Managing Director of The Norm and Head of Digital Experience for Coherent, explains: 

 

 

Ethical design builds confidence by making intentions and outcomes clear, while respecting users' choices.

Key points:

  • Dark patterns in UX design may lift short-term metrics but damage long-term credibility.

  • Ethical UX design aligns business goals with user confidence, turning clarity into a competitive advantage.

  • Transparent design can improve engagement and brand loyalty. 

At The Norm, ethical design isn’t a single rule set but a way of working. Each project begins with clarity about purpose and value, continues through user validation, and ends with decisions that sustain trust.

The full article shows that when design earns trust through clarity and fairness, users stay because they feel confident in their choices.

Read the entire piece from The Norm