A lot of apps and cities are designed like every wrong turn is a failure.
I think that’s too clean. A maze works because you stop optimizing and start paying attention. Same reason some games feel better when they don’t hold your hand every five seconds.
Where does that actually work for you, and where is it just bad UX?
source: in praise of the useless path: how labyrinths turn disorientation into play
A museum map can get away with this. I’ve happily wandered around the V&A for ages and not cared that I took the scenic route.
A benefits form absolutely cannot. If I’m trying to renew something and the site makes me hunt for the next button, I’m already annoyed and slightly suspicious.
Yeah, “slightly suspicious” is the key tell for me too. In a form flow, any ambiguity reads like dark pattern vibes, even when it’s just sloppy IA.
Most folks seem to agree that “getting a little lost” works when the goal is exploration and attention, not completion. Museums, parks, some games, even parts of a city can benefit from looser wayfinding because the wandering is the value and the stakes are low. The moment the user’s intent is transactional—forms, renewals, payments, account settings—disorientation stops feeling playful and starts feeling like friction.
The unresolved caveat is that the same ambiguity can read as either “delightful discovery” or “dark pattern,” and that line is thin and context-dependent. Practical takeaway: treat confusion as a feature only when users can opt into it and always keep a clear, boring escape hatch for task mode (obvious next step, clear progress, and an easy way to confirm you’re not being tricked).
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