Visual Story Quality Ladder
Start at Layer 1. Use the first layer that is not secure. Recapture before editing when the capture itself is the problem.
| Layer | Ask | Smallest check | First correction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Permission and safety | May we make, keep, and show this from here? | Subject, location, position, privacy, device condition, adult authority | Stop, ask, reframe, relocate, or use a safe object |
| 2. Intention and subject | What should the viewer notice? | One-sentence intention and clearest subject | Name one job for the frame; simplify |
| 3. Capture conditions | Does the frame help the viewer notice it? | Lens, viewpoint, distance, orientation, four edges, background, light, focus, stability, timing | Clean safely, move, brace, wait, focus if validated, or recapture |
| 4. Selection and sequence | Is this the strongest necessary material? | Compare two attempts on one criterion | Choose, remove repetition, or capture one missing view |
| 5. Present and preserve | Is the selected copy honest, private, readable, and recoverable? | Audience, identifiers, actual file, original, backup | Restrict viewing, correct the copy, or restore |
Learner card
- Safe and allowed?
- One clear intention?
- Frame helps?
- Strongest attempt?
- Private and protected?
Parent troubleshooting
After about three minutes, ask the learner to name the intention and current layer. After about seven minutes, offer one smallest check. Demonstrate only on a safe substitute or disposable copy when needed. Step in immediately for safety, permission, privacy, overheating, account/cloud changes, or risk to an original.