Definitions
Dark Patterns are interface design patterns that have been designed to trick users into doing things they wouldn’t otherwise have done.
The term was coined by Harry Brignull, who writes on DarkPatterns.org, that they are carefully crafted with a solid understanding of human psychology, and they do not have the user’s interests in mind. In the talk Brignull gave at UX Brighton 2010, he calls for a code of ethics among professionals in the user interface design industries, and for professional associations to acknowledge that these practices are unethical.