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67 Design And Advertising Decisions That Can Only Be Described As Malicious And Manipulative (New Pics)
Art & DesignMAR 4, 2026

67 Design And Advertising Decisions That Can Only Be Described As Malicious And Manipulative (New Pics)

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In this world, there are three types of design: good, not so good, and absolutely evil. That last category is very much a real thing. It goes way beyond anything that just mildly irritates you—this is the kind that makes you want to track down whoever approved it and hold them personally accountable, because the audacity is truly unmatched.
Sadly, that’s rarely an option. So the next best thing is venting, and there’s a whole subreddit dedicated to doing exactly that. We’ve gone ahead and rounded up some of the most infuriating examples from it below—scroll down to see them, but fair warning: your calmness is about to be tested.

#41 Zuck's Vision Of The Future Is Insane

Facebook interface showing chat options with AI characters alongside social media interaction icons and notifications.
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18points

#42 Amazon Echo Now Has To Send Recordings

Amazon notification explaining the end of local voice processing on Echo devices, an example of frustrating design.
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17points

#43 Vegas

Twitter post complaining about software license revocation, a genuinely evil design example affecting users.
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16points

#44 Google Puts A Scam Website At The Top Of The Search And My Mom Fell For It

Google search results page showing sponsored ads related to passport renewal in a dark mode interface.
16points

#45 No Duolingo, You May Not Put An Ad For Your Subscription On My Lock Screen

Smartphone lock screen showing a bridge with a pop-up advertisement countdown overlay, illustrating car ads design concept.
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16points

#46 Paying A “Digital Delivery Fee” For A Rented Pdf Textbook 🤨

Order details for digital rental of Discovering the Universe, showing price, fees, and fulfillment status.
16points

#47 Sony Was Granted A Patent To Make A TV That Will Only Stop Showing A Commercial Once You Stand Up And Say The Brand Name Out Loud

Diagram showing a person interacting with targeted TV advertisements featuring voice commands and product images in a living room setting.
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15points

#48 An Air Freshener Sold On Facebook. It’s A Literal Scam

White plastic air purifier device opened to show simple internal design and wiring on a wooden surface, design fail example.
15points

#49 I Have To Pay In Order To Get Rid Of The Snapchat AI

Chat conversation about Snapchat+ subscription and unpinning feature, reflecting design that feels genuinely evil with ads on cars.
15points

#50 Contrado Raises Their Prices In Order To Negate Their 25% Student Discount

Comparison of checkout pages showing student discount versus guest checkout highlighting deceptive design tactics.
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15points

#51 Can We All Agree Having To Pay For A Human Necessity Is A Major Jerk Design?

Turnstile with confusing payment instructions causing user frustration in a design that feels genuinely evil.
14points

#52 My $200 Textbook Won’t Let Me Copy Paste More Than 84 Words To Make A Study Guide

Popup message on a textbook page about sound waves restricting copy limits, illustrating frustrating design that feels genuinely evil.
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14points

#53 Oven Air Fryer Function Refuses To Work Without WiFi Connection. Ge Profile Pts700sn. Do Not Buy

Smart oven screen prompting connection for latest features and software updates, highlighting design that feels genuinely evil.
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14points

#54 Popeyes Doesn’t Let You Use Your Entire Gift Card Balance

Mobile app screen showing forced design to add $15 to gift card balance to complete order payment.
14points

#55 Google Has Automatically Opted Its Users Into Having All Emails Scanned By And Used To Train AI. Can Be Opted Out Very Meticulously

Gmail settings showing how to disable smart features and personalization in Google Workspace for better privacy control.
14points

#56 Must Redeem Credit Card Points In Increments Of… 3,333?

Credit card rewards redemption screen showing balance and error for incorrect points increment entry.
13points

#57 This Tag Covering The Water Filter Status Indicator

Water refill station at Toronto Pearson with a sensor-activated design highlighting advertising in everyday objects.
13points

#58 Legislation That Convienently Excludes Politicians

EU chat control law details showing private messages scanned for citizens but exempting government, highlighting design that feels genuinely evil.
13points

#59 Bank Makes You Call To Payoff A Loan So They Can Include A $23 "Convenience Fee"

Loan payoff amount shown as $1102.89 with a warning to contact for loan repayment assistance.
12points

#60 Academia.edu Quietly Jacked Up Their Annual Price From $99 To $499 With One Buried Email Sent A Week Before Charging

Email update about Academia Premium features and subscription details for academic research tools and visibility.
12points
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