| name | emotional-hook-test |
| description | Pre-publication quality gate that evaluates the viewer/buyer emotional experience. Complements voice-audit (output quality) with feeling-level assessment. Applied during content review before publishing any page or product listing. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
The 30-Second Emotional Hook Test (Photography)
Does this page make a viewer feel drawn in, trusting, and ready to act — in 30 seconds?
Relationship to other guardrails:
- like-a-human shapes the writing — voice, rhythm, visual precision.
- voice-audit reviews the output — machine tells, authenticity risk.
- emotional-hook-test (this file) evaluates the feeling — what the viewer experiences in 30 seconds.
When a page passes voice-audit but fails the emotional hook test, the technical quality is irrelevant. The viewer doesn't feel prose quality. They feel trust, awe, and connection — or they don't.
The Five Questions (30 Seconds)
1. PRESENCE (0–5 seconds)
Does the image command the space?
What to check:
- Image quality and display size — is it given room to breathe?
- Visual hierarchy — does the eye go to the art first, not the navigation?
- No competing elements fighting for attention in the first viewport
Pass: The photograph is the first thing you see. Everything else is secondary.
Fail: The image competes with text, navigation, badges, or promotional banners.
2. TRUST (5–10 seconds)
Does this feel like a real photographer's work, or a stock photography marketplace?
What to check:
- Artist identity visible (name, not just brand)
- Description sounds like someone who was behind the camera
- No catalog-speak or generic marketing language
- Price presented clearly, not hidden
Pass: "This was made by a person who cares about what they saw."
Fail: "This could be any print-on-demand site."
3. SEEN (10–15 seconds)
Does the description make me see something in the image I didn't notice on my own?
What to check:
- At least one observation that rewards a second look
- Specific detail about the moment, light, or subject
- The description serves the image, not the SEO
Pass: "Oh — I didn't notice that until they pointed it out. Now I can't unsee it."
Fail: "This description tells me what I can already see, or tells me how to feel about it."
4. DESIRE (15–20 seconds)
Can I imagine this on my wall?
What to check:
- Print medium explained in terms of what it does to this image
- Size options clear and practical
- One sentence that makes the image feel like something worth living with, not just looking at
- No hard sell — the image either moves you or it doesn't
Pass: "I can picture exactly where this would go."
Fail: "I know the specs but don't feel the pull."
5. EASE (20–30 seconds)
Can I buy this without friction or confusion?
What to check:
- Size, medium, and price visible without scrolling
- Shipping and framing information accessible
- No overwhelming option paralysis (too many sizes, too many media)
- Clear path from "I want this" to "it's ordered"
Pass: "I know what I'm getting and how to get it."
Fail: "I want this but I don't know which option to choose, or the process feels complicated."
Per-Page Feeling Targets
| Page Type | Feeling Target | Viewer's Inner Voice |
|---|
| Home/Gallery | Awe + orientation | "This person sees things I walk past. I want to see more." |
| Collection | Coherence + discovery | "These belong together. Each one reveals something new." |
| Product/Print | Desire + confidence | "I want this on my wall. I know exactly what I'm getting." |
| About/Artist | Connection + credibility | "This is a real person. I trust their eye." |
| Blog/Behind-the-lens | Intimacy + learning | "I see how they see. This changed how I look at things." |
Scoring
For each of the 5 questions:
- PASS — The feeling lands.
- PARTIAL — Some elements work but something blocks. Note what blocks it.
- FAIL — The feeling target is not met. Revise before publishing.
Overall:
- 5/5 PASS → Ship it.
- 4/5 PASS, 1 PARTIAL → Ship with a note on what to improve.
- 3/5 or fewer → Hold. Revise.
Audit Report Format
## Emotional Hook Test — [Page Name]
**Page:** [filename]
**Type:** [Gallery / Product / Collection / About / Blog]
**Feeling Target:** [from table above]
**Date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
| # | Question | Result | Notes |
|---|----------|--------|-------|
| 1 | PRESENCE (5s) | PASS/PARTIAL/FAIL | ... |
| 2 | TRUST (10s) | PASS/PARTIAL/FAIL | ... |
| 3 | SEEN (15s) | PASS/PARTIAL/FAIL | ... |
| 4 | DESIRE (20s) | PASS/PARTIAL/FAIL | ... |
| 5 | EASE (30s) | PASS/PARTIAL/FAIL | ... |
**Overall:** [X/5 PASS] — [Ship it / Ship with notes / Hold for revision]
**Key finding:** [One sentence summary]
The Product
Flickers of Majesty is not a stock photography site. It is not a print marketplace. It is:
The feeling of seeing creation through someone else's reverence.
The feeling of recognizing beauty you'd walked past.
The feeling of owning something that was witnessed, not manufactured.
The prints are the product. The feeling is why they buy.
Soli Deo Gloria — Excellence as worship means the viewer feels the photographer's reverence, not just their technique.
