Roach motel
DEFINITION
A roach motel is a user experience that's easy to get into, but hard to get out of.
DEFINITION
A roach motel is a user experience that's easy to get into, but hard to get out of.
DEFINITION
A roach motel is a user experience that's easy to get into, but hard to get out of.
1
Purpose
The roach motel pattern exploits user commitment by making it difficult to reverse decisions.
2
Psychological principles
High cognitive load. When users are faced with a complicated user experience, this overloads the brain, making it hard to choose what's in their best interest.
3
Prevention
Users can protect themselves by reading terms carefully and reading trusted user reviews or complaints.
The four types of roach motels
There are four main types of roach motels. To make it easy, I’ll use the example of a subscription service with a complicated cancellation flow.
Overcomplicated Process. Canceling may require answering irrelevant questions, ticking many boxes to change preferences, or even talking to a customer service representative.
Confusing language. Jargon or unclear words can confuse users and lead them to second-guess their decision to unsubscribe.
Convoluted Design. The design is built to confuse and hinder your action. For example, the ‘cancel’ button may be unusually small or use reduced color contrast to prevent users from unsubscribing.
Time Delays. Companies may also employ time delays or processing times to artificially lengthen the process.
There are four main types of roach motels. To make it easy, I’ll use the example of a subscription service with a complicated cancellation flow.
Overcomplicated Process. Canceling may require answering irrelevant questions, ticking many boxes to change preferences, or even talking to a customer service representative.
Confusing language. Jargon or unclear words can confuse users and lead them to second-guess their decision to unsubscribe.
Convoluted Design. The design is built to confuse and hinder your action. For example, the ‘cancel’ button may be unusually small or use reduced color contrast to prevent users from unsubscribing.
Time Delays. Companies may also employ time delays or processing times to artificially lengthen the process.
There are four main types of roach motels. To make it easy, I’ll use the example of a subscription service with a complicated cancellation flow.
Overcomplicated Process. Canceling may require answering irrelevant questions, ticking many boxes to change preferences, or even talking to a customer service representative.
Confusing language. Jargon or unclear words can confuse users and lead them to second-guess their decision to unsubscribe.
Convoluted Design. The design is built to confuse and hinder your action. For example, the ‘cancel’ button may be unusually small or use reduced color contrast to prevent users from unsubscribing.
Time Delays. Companies may also employ time delays or processing times to artificially lengthen the process.
Behind the pattern
High cognitive load. At its core, a process with a high cognitive load naturally discourages users. Roach motels leverage mental expectations by increasing the cognitive load of leaving.
When faced with a challenge, we often solve it by choosing the path of least resistance. We also expect entering a situation (e.g., subscribing, purchasing, etc.) to require a similar effort to leaving (e.g., unsubscribing, canceling an order, etc.).
If this expectation is violated and there is a much higher cognitive load to leave, users will become easier to overwhelm.
For example, if you were expecting to wait for 5 minutes, but ended up waiting for 20 minutes, you would likely be more frustrated than if you were told you would have to wait for 30 minutes, but only waited 20 minutes.
High cognitive load. At its core, a process with a high cognitive load naturally discourages users. Roach motels leverage mental expectations by increasing the cognitive load of leaving.
When faced with a challenge, we often solve it by choosing the path of least resistance. We also expect entering a situation (e.g., subscribing, purchasing, etc.) to require a similar effort to leaving (e.g., unsubscribing, canceling an order, etc.).
If this expectation is violated and there is a much higher cognitive load to leave, users will become overwhelmed more easily.
For example, if you were expecting to wait for 5 minutes, but ended up waiting for 20 minutes, you would be more frustrated than if you were told you would have to wait for an hour, but only waited 20 minutes.
High cognitive load. At its core, a process with a high cognitive load naturally discourages users. Roach motels leverage mental expectations by increasing the cognitive load of leaving.
When faced with a challenge, we often solve it by choosing the path of least resistance. We also expect entering a situation (e.g., subscribing, purchasing, etc.) to require a similar effort to leaving (e.g., unsubscribing, canceling an order, etc.).
If this expectation is violated and there is a much higher cognitive load to leave, users will become overwhelmed more easily.
For example, if you were expecting to wait for 5 minutes, but ended up waiting for 20 minutes, you would be more frustrated than if you were told you would have to wait for an hour, but only waited 20 minutes.
How to protect yourself
Read the cancellation terms and conditions. If they seem overly complex, there’s a good chance it’s a roach motel.
Read reviews. Sort by 1-star or worst reviews and see if any users mention a process taking longer than expected or being unnecessarily difficult.
Read the cancellation terms and conditions. If they seem overly complex, there’s a good chance it’s a roach motel.
Read reviews. Sort by 1-star or worst reviews and see if any users mention a process taking longer than expected or being unnecessarily difficult.
Read the cancellation terms and conditions. If they seem overly complex, there’s a good chance it’s a roach motel.
Read reviews. Sort by 1-star or worst reviews and see if any users mention a process taking longer than expected or being unnecessarily difficult.