Hooked Framework

Hooked Framework

Audit or design habit-forming products using the Hook Model.

The four phases

1. Trigger: external or internal cue that starts the behavior
2. Action: the simplest behavior in anticipation of reward
3. Variable Reward: unpredictable feedback that creates desire
4. Investment: user puts something in to improve future outcomes

Process

1. Collect inputs: product name, GitHub or website URL, target persona, maturity level.
2. Build a product profile: core action, use frequency, value proposition.
3. Analyze each phase with evidence, score 0-3, and note ethics.
4. Calculate overall score: (sum / 12) * 100.
5. Produce a report with prioritized human and coding actions.

Maturity levels

• Level 1 (Prototype): focus on Trigger and Action
• Level 2 (Early product): full four-phase analysis
• Level 3 (Scaling product): emphasize Variable Reward and Investment

Output

• Executive summary
• Product profile
• Overall Hook score
• Phase scores and evidence
• Ethics summary
• Prioritized action list

Ethics

Flag manipulative patterns. Recommend transparent, user-beneficial loops.