Motivational Design or Deceptive Patterns? Rethinking UX, Cognition, and Ethics in Digital Platforms

The next speaker in the Digital Minds lecture series is Vero Vanden Abeele from the eMedia Research Lab and the Department of Computer Science at KU Leuven.

In this research talk, the focus is on how digital platforms deploy motivational design to drive engagement and product-led growth, and how the same design choices can slip into deceptive user experience patterns that monetize attention, data, and spending. Drawing on examples from everyday apps and platforms, the talk unpacks how subtle interface choices shape what users notice, consent to, and ultimately do.

Registration is avalaible here: registration

(Registration closes on 14 January 2026)

More information about the Digital Mind lecture series:  Digital Minds - Speaker: Vero Vanden Abeele | Alpha Generation Lab