WhatsApp Usability + Accessibility + Dark Patterns
WhatsApp is a free messenger app that sends and receives messages over the internet. There is also a convenient desktop version although no iPad/tablet version at the moment.
Usability Heuristics
To measure the usability of WhatsApp let’s use the LEMErS framework. Each letter stands for another usability heuristic:
- Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
- Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
- Memorability: Do users remember the interface/brand/product? When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
- Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors? Is the error acknowledged elegantly?
- Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design? Are there pleasant surprises?
Accessibility
The word accessibility by definition means being able “to be reached or entered”. We may think of our apps and websites as being able to be accessed from different devices etc. However as UX designers we want to look deeper into what accessibility can really mean. When we enter a stadium with thousands of seats we see signs for wheelchair accessible seating areas. When we sit on a bus we see seats designated for people with disabilities. However we tend to view those areas as separations. If those areas are designated for people with disabilities then I should sit somewhere else.
But what if when the stadium or bus was created, the designers considered a universal design strategy? Universal design is “the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability”. If all the seats in the stadium were accessible by all people then we would not need designated areas for people with disabilities! We would not have to separate our spaces!
As UX designers we NEED to take this idea very seriously. What if we create apps and interfaces that function as a universal design?! Imagine how many users we can impact! Being that the core of our profession centers around the user we MUST incorporate these types of features into our designs. Let’s take a look at an example of an accessibility feature that WhatsApp uses that works for everyone!
Dark Patterns
A dark pattern is a “user interface carefully crafted to trick users into doing things they might not otherwise do, such as buying insurance with their purchase or signing up for recurring bills…they do not have the user’s interests in mind”. This is something as UX designers we should want to avoid. Not only do we care about our users but no matter what our profession we should always remain ethical people.
WhatsApp happens to be a very reliable app that has built a trustworthy relationship with its users as seen by the increasing usability and accessibility features over the past years. It is free and continues to remain free while providing its users with an excellent experience. Therefore, it wasn’t easy to find an example of a dark pattern within the WhatsApp framework but there is a subtle example that occurred in 2016 that many people may not even be aware of.
The screen above showed up on already existing users screens with a significantly large agree button and a much smaller not apparent read more button. Most people psychologically and naturally would just click the agree button however if the small read button is selected there is then an option to turn off sharing WhatsApp account with Facebook. Once agreed is selected on either screen, it is impossible to go back to this setting. This is an example of a dark pattern where the app is structured to force consent from a user.
This brief analysis of usability, accessibility, and dark patterns provides insight into why WhatsApp is so successful and used by so many people across the world.
