Design Director Rebuild · 2026-05-08 Detroit DSCR Variant A — Before vs After
One creative rebuilt end-to-end as a designer-grade exemplar — magazine-cover composition, Ideogram-rendered typography, real Detroit reference photography, single cobrand placement.
Before · v1 algorithmic (Track 32)
Neuro score 13/30 · REBUILD
After · v2 design-director rebuild
Neuro re-score 25/30 · SHIP
Designer's verdict — gate-by-gate
| Gate | v1 (before) | v2 (after) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1 Rule of thirds | 1/3 | 3/3 | House roofline + chimney anchor right-third intersection; type stack on left-third |
| G2 Focal point | 2/3 | 3/3 | One undeniable focal — the brick mansion. Type supports rather than competes |
| G3 Eye-path | 1/3 | 3/3 | Z-pattern: kicker → H1 → subhead → CTA → compliance bar |
| G4 Persona | 0/3 | 0/3 (documented gap) | Available studio headshots would composite-fake on real-photo street scene. Honest design choice — see Rationale §6 |
| G5 Color discipline | 1/3 | 3/3 | Photo carries color; gold appears only on CTA (≤4% of canvas); white/dark scrim only |
| G6 Scroll-stop contrast | 2/3 | 3/3 | Editorial typography + dark-scrim backed white H1 = unambiguous thumb-stop |
| G7 Headline neurocopy | 2/3 | 3/3 | "QUALIFIED ON THE RENT" is declarative, specific, pattern-interrupt — and Reg-Z safe |
| G8 Negative space | 1/3 | 3/3 | ≥45% of canvas is breathing room (sky + tree + bottom scrim zone) |
| G9 Composition variety | 1/3 | 2/3 | Single-creative deliverable — full series test deferred. Composition recipe documented for sibling cities |
| G10 Regional authenticity | 2/3 | 3/3 | Indian Village brick Tudor IS unmistakably Detroit historic-district housing stock |
Self-attested score
v1: 13 / 30 — REBUILD. v2: 25 / 30 — SHIP. (Acceptance threshold ≥24)
Re-review by an independent neuro reviewer is recommended before broad rollout to verify the +12 lift.
Reg Z trigger sweep
- "UP TO 80% LTV" — REMOVED ✓ (was 12 CFR § 1026.24(d) trigger via implied 20% down)
- No interest rates, payment amounts, down-payment percentages, or payment counts in v2 ✓
- Allowed-phrase replacement: "QUALIFIED ON THE RENT" + "Investor financing on the cash flow — not your W-2." ✓
Cobrand placement
- v1: 1 cobrand (compliance footer). v2: 1 cobrand (compliance footer). Both compliant with the 2026-05-08 single-cobrand rule.
Compliance footer v3 spec
- EHL logo at 50% band height (was 66% in v2 spec — Paul-directed reduction)
- NMLS two-line block vertically centered in dark band
- Cobrand left at 62% band height (unchanged)
- Dark forest band #0c1612 — solid (no gradient blur)