Ethical Web Design: When GIFs Become Problemetic

In December 2020, the most-awaited game, Cyberpunk 2077, was released. Although it received a lot of praise, Lianna Ruppert (a gamer) claimed that the game triggered her seizures. GIFs can do just that to you. That’s why ethical web design is necessary.

Unlike Ruppert, whose epilepsy was triggered by the game graphics in 2020, Kurt Eichenwald, who is an American journalist, was also targeted with a GIF that triggered his seizure in 2016 on X (formerly Twitter).

This shows that just like games or movies, GIFs can trigger epileptic episodes among users. And unwary designers may fall prey to this trap.

How do you know if your site contains any such visuals? How to mitigate that issue? An ethical web design agency can help.

This blog traces the evolution of GIFs, from a harmless visual format to killer GIFs capable of triggering seizures, backed by real-world incidents like Pokémon Shock and the Kurt Eichenwald case. It highlights how poorly designed or malicious visuals can cause serious physical harm, making GIFs as dangerous as traditional weapons in specific contexts.

We will also emphasize ethical web design as a safeguard, urging designers and businesses to prioritize accessibility, inclusivity, and user safety over flashy animations.

Want to know more about these? Let’s go!

Is a GIF as Deadly as a Knife or a Gun?

Before we dive deep into whether an animated GIF can be as deadly as a knife or a gun, we need to understand what a GIF is.

What are GIFs?

GIF is an acronym for Graphics Interchange Format. It’s an image format that can be animated. This animation is done by displaying a series of images in quick succession, creating the illusion of animation.

If you are on social media, you are no stranger to them. These looped and short videos are often posted online (mainly memes). The GIFs can be made from scratch or from existing footage.

Are GIFs a New Phenomenon?

No, the GIF format is not a recent phenomenon. It has been around since the late 1980s, and its inventor is a techie named Steve Wilhite.

Fun Fact: Steve invented GIF before the World Wide Web itself!

He introduced the GIF in June 1987. Steve was then working for CompuServe, an online service provider in the US.

The Brief History of GIFs

Before the invention of GIFs, CompuServe was using the B&W image format called Run-Length-Encoding (RLE). The killer GIFs became an innovative solution as they supported colors.

However, only 256 colors could be stored. Two years later (in 1989), this format was updated to allow one color to be transparent and to support delayed animations.

It was 1991 when the web was made public. Tim Berners-Lee launched the Mosaic Web Browser. In 1993, the <img> tag allowed embedding images in the browser. But only images could be embedded, not other formats. So, the GIFs appeared as static images.

The year 1995 changed everything with the release of Netscape 2.0. Netscape was the first browser to support animated GIFs.

Then, in 1996, after some patent challenges, developers released the initial version of PNG (Portable Network Graphics).

This was the first PNG that was designed and popularized.

The distinct differences between PNG and GIF were:

• GIF supported only 256 colors, whereas PNG supported over 1,000 colors

• PNG offered better transparency than GIF

• PNG remained patent-free and open-source but did not support animation

While PNG was a reaction to GIF’s patent challenges and sought to replace it, GIF’s popularity superseded PNG engineers’ efforts.

Even after The League for Programming Freedom announced a campaign recognizing November 5, 1999, as Burn All GIFs Day, the GIFs didn’t go extinct.

Although PNG and anti-GIF engineers nearly killed the GIF format, it bounced back and has dominated the modern internet era.

In 2020, Facebook acquired GIPHY. It’s a search engine or database that lets users send and share GIFs. Even users can use killer GIFs on social media platforms that allow them.

Since we are all aware of GIFs that rule the internet, their popularity is undeniable.

But there’s a dark side to these GIFs, which can be fatal for some if not used properly.

Are GIFs Harmful or Dangerous?

Before asking this question, let’s go back 28 years. On a December afternoon of 1997, more than a thousand Japanese children collapsed. Across Japan, simultaneous seizures shocked the country, and 600+ people were hospitalized.

What was the Dennō Senshi Porygon incident?

At 6.51 pm on 16^th December 1997, thousands of children in Japan had seizures. A total of 685 children (375 girls and 310 boys) were hospitalized.

In just 2 days, 12,000 illnesses were reported. The common link between them was an unlikely one. It was the 38^th episode of Pokémon’s first season.

This episode was named Dennō Senshi Porygon (translating to Electric Soldier Pokémon). In the 20^th minute of the episode, an explosion was broadcast. Almost instantly, children experienced seizures (photosensitive epileptic seizures).

The explosion was a broadcast of blue and red flashing at 12Hz for nearly 6 seconds. The technique used was known as paka paka.

This incident was covered and highlighted by most Japanese media, and was called the “Pokémon Shock”.

Can GIFs be a deadly weapon?

Yes, GIFs can be used as a deadly weapon. It is as lethal as a gun or a knife. This can be seen in the Kurt Eichenwald Case, in which the Texas Grand Jury states that GIFs can be a deadly weapon.

In 2017, NBC reported that in the Kurt Eichenwald Case, the jury decided that GIFs can be used to harm someone (intentionally).

But what was the Kurt Eichenwald Case?

Kurt Eichenwald was a senior journalist at Newsweek Magazine and an editor at Vanity Fair. He was an X (formerly Twitter) user and was no stranger to trolls due to his opinions.

In December 2016, one of the trolls (jew_goldstein) sent him a tweet. The tweet was a GIF featuring the words “You deserve a seizure for your posts.” This GIF triggered a seizure in the journalist.

The next day, Kurt threatened to go after the user and took legal action.

In 2017, John Rayne Rivello was made to stand trial for attempted murder. The FBI even charged him with “criminal cyberstalking with the intent to kill or cause bodily harm”.

Kurt’s lawyer told the court that this attack is as severe as giving poison or mailing an explosive. And, Rivello faces up to 10 years imprisonment.

Why Ethical Web Design Matters?

Before exploring why ethical web design matters, we must discuss what we mean by ethical web design.

What is Ethical Web Design?

It is the approach that ensures websites and apps are built with inclusivity, honesty, and best practices in mind.

Ethical web design takes a user-centric approach. So, inclusivity is its top priority. This means that every user’s expectations are met without causing the slightest discomfort.

It considers users’ medical conditions and creates a safe-to-use digital product.

What are the 5 pillars of Ethical Web Design?

• User-First Design: As discussed above, it emphasizes safety, ease of use, straightforward navigation, and accessibility as key components of web design.

• Transparency: This approach also provides honest information about pricing, data usage, and services without any deceptive practices.

• Accessibility: Ensures the digital product can be used by users of all abilities.

• Sustainability: According to the Website Carbon Calculator, the web page produces approximately 0.36 grams of carbon dioxide per view. For a site with 10,000 monthly views, the carbon dioxide emissions are 43 kg per annum. Ethical web design strives to minimize a website’s carbon footprint as much as possible.

• Ethical SEO: This approach strictly prohibits manipulative SEO practices, such as black-hat tactics, and focuses on content visibility and clear intent.

Why Ethical Web Design Matters?

We already saw how deadly killer GIFs can be (whether intentional or unintentional).

Now let’s answer the most critical question.

Can designers unintentionally trigger photosensitive seizures?

We have good news for designers. It is unlikely that your designed digital product can accidentally trigger seizures.

According to WebAIM, killer GIFs are those GIFs that flicker somewhere between 5 and 30 times per second. It is also typically big enough with few spinners (animated) and large graphics.

It can only be achieved if the designer designs an element (UI) that flickers and continuously animates. This should be avoided at all costs.

Fun Fact: TV series, movies, video games, and even pinball machines have a higher probability of causing seizures than killer GIFs as a UI element.

However, specially designed static graphics can pose a serious problem, and unwary designers can land in trouble because of them.

The above image is one such example. These high contrast illusions (optical) can present problems when used in backgrounds and large panels. Though this image isn’t animated like killer GIFs, it seems to move.

So, the designers should be cautious while using images like this in UI elements.

How Does Ethical Web Design Help Your Business?

Many businesses can unknowingly fall into the trap of unethical web design. Their designers may incorporate UI elements that harm users, and may also unintentionally engage in manipulative practices.

Before exploring the best practices, let’s see how ethical design can help businesses.

• Trust Building with Users

When users come across a clean, transparent, and honest site, they are more engaged and are likely to interact. That’s because they feel confident enough to engage with an honest business, building trust and credibility.

• Ethical Web Design Improves UX

Websites that are carefully crafted with intuitive navigation, high responsiveness, and secure accessibility can outshine even the most aesthetically pleasing digital products.

• Enhances Visibility

Businesses that incorporate sustainable SEO strategies, such as proper structure, high-quality content, and authentic backlinks, achieve better rankings on Google and other search engines.

What are the Best Practices of Ethical Web Design?

There are certain things businesses should keep in mind when designing their websites or applications. These are the best practices that can help these businesses stick to an ethical web design approach.

Here, we will discuss the 5 golden practices that can help businesses portray themselves as trusted partners to prospects.

1. Avoid Making the UI an Animation Hell for Users

Designers who are not cautious may make the UI an online junkyard, complemented by a considerable arsenal of dark patterns. This includes hidden buttons, flashy animations, killer GIFs, and so on. This makes the site an animation hell for users, negatively affecting their online experience.

Web designers need to avoid this by steering clear of flashing or blinking animations that appear too rapidly. If it’s necessary, they can go up to 3 flashes per second.

2. Keep the Communication Ethical

You should have a clear agenda for communication. If your page is dedicated to providing information such as announcements, offers, and stories, clarity should be your top priority.

While conveying the message, you should avoid:

• Irrelevant pop-ups

• Floating bars

• Intrusive sidebars

• Hidden elements

• Splash pages

3. Avoid Layout Clutter

There should be a balanced approach to the flow of information on your website or app. The page should be interactive and lively, along with careful spacing between words.

At all costs, you should avoid:

• Small fonts with low readability

• Underlined text for no valid reason

• User-friendly click targets

4. Choose Clear Fonts

Using too many fonts on the same page increases users’ cognitive load. This means that the users will find it hard to understand the content.

For instance, using hand-drawn or script fonts should be avoided. As it reduces the ease of use of websites or apps, visitors bounce to other sites.

5. Users Avoid Hard-to-Navigate Pages

A clean and navigable web page can do wonders for your online presence. It should be as fluid as a river and not a swamp.

You should avoid a stepped and unclear menu at all costs. This can confuse users and leave them frustrated with the interaction. Very often, it motivates them to seek information elsewhere.

Unethical Web Design Not Only Hurts Your Business but Also Your Users!

There you have it. Ethical web design is the new norm. If you don’t want to fall into the trap of unintentionally harming your users, you ought to go for ethical design.

Remember, GIFs and static images, though intriguing UI elements, can be fatal if incorporated irresponsibly. And, the above-mentioned instances show how deadly they can be.

So, if you want to build a strong, effective relationship with users, ethical web design is critical.

We get it. You can’t do it alone. Webskitters is here for you as we specialize in ethical web design. We don’t just design products; our designers ensure they are safe yet enjoyable.

Book a call with us today and learn more about ethical web design practices.

FAQs

1. What are Killer GIFs?

Killer GIFs are animated visuals with rapid flashing or high contrast that can trigger photosensitive seizures in vulnerable users.

2. Can GIFs really cause physical harm?

Yes, improperly designed or malicious GIFs can cause seizures, as evidenced by real cases such as the Pokémon Shock and Kurt Eichenwald incidents.

3. How fast does a GIF need to flash to be dangerous?

GIFs flashing between 5 and 30 times per second can potentially trigger photosensitive epileptic seizures.

4. Are designers legally responsible for harmful GIFs?

Designers and platforms can face legal consequences if they intentionally or negligently use harmful visuals.

5. How does ethical web design prevent GIF-related risks?

Ethical web design prioritizes accessibility, safe animations, and inclusive UX to protect users from visual triggers and discomfort.