convert-above-fold

# Convert Above-Fold - Hero Hierarchy Engineered for the Four-Layer Open

> *"Your opening has one job: make them keep reading."* - The Donahoe Method, Framework 1

The first viewport is where the Method either lands or dies. This skill engineers the above-fold zone so the visual hierarchy *carries* Layer 1 (Nerve Strike) of the Four-Layer Open and points the reader straight into Layer 2 (Side Door). Every pixel above the fold is in service of "make them keep reading."

## When to Use

Trigger phrases: "above the fold", "above-fold hero", "hero section design", "first viewport", "5 second test", "donahoe above fold", "what who next", `/convert above-fold <product>`.

Use when:
- Designing or rebuilding the hero zone of a sales page, VSL page, squeeze page, or lead-magnet page
- The reader currently fails the 5-second test ("what is this / who is it for / what do I do")
- The headline is right but the visual hierarchy is suffocating it
- Mobile and desktop hero need to be specced together (this skill handles both)

Do NOT use for:
- Full sales-page assembly - use `/convert sales-page`
- Auditing an existing live page - use `/market landing <url>`
- Generating only the headline copy - use `/convert open` (Layer 1 lives there)
- Scroll mechanics below the fold - use `/convert scroll-rhythm`

## The Five-Second Test (Krug, popularized 2000)

A first-time visitor must, within five seconds, be able to answer three questions cold:

1. **What is this?** - the product/offer/promise
2. **Who is it for?** - the one person we're writing to (Donahoe Voice Rule #1)
3. **What do I do next?** - the primary CTA

If any answer is missing or fuzzy, the hero fails. Test by showing the page to someone for five seconds, hiding it, and asking the three questions. Repeat with three different people. Cold answers only.

*The 5-second comprehension test (popularized by Steve Krug, 2000) and Jakob's Law (Nielsen Norman Group) - users prefer pages that work the way other pages they know already work. Don't reinvent the hero.*

## Inputs

Required:
1. **Product / offer name** - what we're selling
2. **The Nerve** - the specific raw pain (same input as `convert-open`); pulled from the Four-Layer Open if `convert-open` ran upstream
3. **Target reader** - the one person (Donahoe Voice Rule #1)
4. **Primary CTA** - what action we're asking for ("Start my 14-day trial", "Get my free teardown", "Watch the 18-minute training")

Optional:
- **Asset type** - sales page / VSL page / squeeze / lead-magnet / OTO (changes the hero pattern)
- **Brand context** - colors, typeface, voice (informs the styling without overriding the Method)
- **Existing hero copy** - if porting from an existing page; otherwise generated fresh
- `out_path` - caller-controlled output. Defaults via `build_report_path("business-conversion", instruction)`

## The Donahoe Above-Fold Anatomy

The hero serves the Open. Map each visual slot to a Method element.

### Slot 1 - The Nerve Strike Headline (top, dominant)

The headline IS Layer 1 of the Four-Layer Open. Specifications:

- One line on desktop, max two on mobile
- Specific, sensory, names the pain they already feel
- Type size: 48-72px desktop / 32-44px mobile (responsive clamp)
- Type weight: 700-900
- Line height: 1.05-1.15 (tight; this is a punch, not a paragraph)
- Color: highest-contrast text color in the design system (WCAG AA 4.5:1 minimum)

The headline is the only element that gets to be loud. Everything else supports it.

### Slot 2 - The Side Door Subhead (directly below)

The subhead lifts Layer 2 of the Open into the visual frame. This is the "I noticed something..." moment that signals "this is a conversation, not a pitch."

- 1-2 sentences, conversational tone
- Type size: 18-22px desktop / 16-18px mobile
- Type weight: 400-500
- Line height: 1.4-1.5
- Color: 70-80% opacity of the headline color (subordinate, not dim)

### Slot 3 - The Primary CTA (above-fold, thumb-reachable on mobile)

One CTA. One. Above-fold visitors have one decision to make.

- Button height: 56-64px desktop / 48-56px mobile (Apple HIG floor: 44pt; we exceed)
- Width: hug content + 32-48px horizontal padding; full-width on mobile <600px
- Color: brand accent with WCAG AA contrast (4.5:1) against background
- Copy: first-person + value-loaded ("Start MY trial" not "Submit"; "Get my teardown" not "Send")
- Microcopy underneath (12-14px, 60% opacity): handles the smallest objection ("No card required", "60-second video", "Used by 1,847 founders")

### Slot 4 - The Skin-in-Game Anchor (right column or beneath CTA)

Visual evidence of Layer 3 of the Open - the "why this person is telling you this." Options:

- Founder photo + 1-line credential drop ("I burned $84K figuring this out")
- A single specific number ("$2.4M tracked through this exact funnel")
- A single named testimonial fragment with photo (~80 chars max - full proof stack lives below the fold via `convert-proof-stack`)

The anchor is small. It's a wink, not a wall. Full proof comes below the fold.

### Slot 5 - Trust Strip (just below CTA, low-emphasis)

3-5 elements, single row, ~24-32px height each:
- Customer logos (if recognizable to the target reader)
- "As seen in" media bar (only if real)
- Star rating + review count ("4.9 / 312 reviews")
- Money-back guarantee badge

Trust strip is grayscale or 60% opacity. It's reassurance, not advertisement.

## Layout Patterns (pick one)

### Pattern A - Center Stack (default for cold traffic, lead-magnet, squeeze)

```
[          Headline          ]
[          Subhead           ]
[           CTA              ]
[       microcopy            ]
[       trust strip          ]
```

When to use: cold traffic, single-message pages, mobile-first audiences. Dead simple. Eyes go top → middle → CTA.

### Pattern B - Z-Pattern (default for warm traffic, longer sales pages)

```
[ Logo  ----------  Login   ]
[ Headline  →   Founder photo]
[       ↘                    ]
[ Subhead → CTA              ]
```

Eyes track top-lef