# CASCADE — Onboarding

## 2026-05-19

---

## Onboarding Principle

Onboarding is not a tutorial. It is the first act of the game.

Every step in onboarding should feel like an invitation, not a requirement. The user is not filling out a profile — they are planting seeds.

---

## The Seven Steps

### Step 1: Name + Claim Your Hex

```
"Welcome to Cascade. You're in the center."

The user sees:
- A single hex, glowing, at the center of an empty lattice
- Their name field
- "The center hex is yours. It cannot be moved. It cannot be taken."

Action: Enter your name.
```

**What this step does:**
- Establishes ownership (this is YOUR space)
- Establishes permanence (the center is fixed)
- No cart yet — just identity

---

### Step 2: Plant Your Inner Circle

```
"You start with 6. These are the people who anchor your world."

The user sees:
- Their center hex surrounded by 6 adjacent hexes, unclaimed
- Prompt: "Claim your first Inner Circle"
- Explanation: "These 6 people don't change often. Choose once."

Action: Search for someone OR skip for now
```

**If skipped:** R1 remains empty (dim hexes). User can return later.

**If claimed:** The user claims the person. The claim is PENDING until they claim back. Both must confirm for R1 to register.

**What this step does:**
- Sets the tone (this is intentional, not casual)
- Establishes the claiming mechanic
- Creates first social debt (they might not claim back)

---

### Step 3: First Cart — Food

```
"Tell us how you eat."

The user sees:
- 3 empty slots for Food items
- Prompt: "Add 3 things you love to eat or places you love to eat"
- Search bar

Action: Add at least 1 Food item to continue
```

**Item examples shown:**
- "Ramen Bar X"
- "Farmers market on Saturdays"
- "Sushi for special occasions"
- "My own cooking"

**Rule:** First 3 items per category are bonus-weighted. They define the initial resonance field.

**What this step does:**
- First identity data
- Establishes the cart mechanic gently
- Creates first resonance signal

---

### Step 4: First Cart — Activities

```
"Tell us how you spend your time."

The user sees:
- 3 empty slots for Activity items
- Prompt: "Add 3 things you do for fun, growth, or energy"

Action: Add at least 1 Activity item to continue
```

**Item examples shown:**
- "Rock climbing on weekends"
- "Jazz vinyl listening"
- "Language learning apps"
- "Hiking with my dog"

**What this step does:**
- Second identity data
- Paints a fuller picture
- Starts painting the "type of person you are"

---

### Step 5: First Cart — Habitat

```
"Tell us about your space."

The user sees:
- 3 empty slots for Habitat items
- Prompt: "Add 3 things that define where you live"

Action: Add at least 1 Habitat item to continue
```

**Item examples shown:**
- "My plants (14 and counting)"
- "Minimalist kitchen"
- "My dog, Mochi"
- "Bookshelf I actually use"

**What this step does:**
- Third identity data
- Most revealing category — habit, not aspiration
- Completes the trifecta

---

### Step 6: Your Constellation Begins

```
"You've planted 9. The cascade begins."

The user sees:
- Their lattice — center + R1 claims + 9 cart items
- A notification: "The Current is forming..."
- Brief animation of hexes appearing in R6 (The Current)

"Check back in an hour to see who has entered your atmosphere."
```

**What this step does:**
- Closes the planting phase
- Sets expectations (the cascade takes time)
- Creates anticipation for return visits
- Confirms that the system works (other people are appearing)

---

### Step 7: First Return — The Current

```
"Welcome back. Your atmosphere is live."

The user sees:
- 36 hexes in R6 (The Current), 1-5 occupied
- Each occupied hex shows: avatar + warmth indicator (hot/warm/cool)
- Prompt: "These are people whose carts resonate with yours"

Actions available:
- Tap any warm hex → See profile + resonance breakdown
- "Add to my world" → Adds to ambient awareness
- "Send Care Package" → Requires Hearts
- Dismiss → Move on
```

**If no hexes are occupied yet:**
```
"Your Current is still forming. Check back soon."
- 24hr delay message
- "In the meantime, add more to your cart to sharpen your signal."
```

---

## Post-Onboarding — First Week

### Day 1-3: Signal Sharpening

```
Prompt: "Your constellation is responding."
Suggested actions:
- Add more items to each category
- Check The Current hourly
- Respond to any care packages received
```

### Day 4-7: First Gravity

```
Prompt: "Some resonance is building."
If any R6 hexes have been warm for 3+ days:
→ "Someone is rising toward your Wave. Check The Current."
```

---

## The Claim Flow — Deep Dive

### Single-Sided Claim

```
You claim Alice.
Alice does NOT claim you.
→ Alice appears in YOUR lattice as a PENDING hex (dim)
→ Alice does NOT see you in their lattice
→ You can release the pending claim at any time
```

### Mutual Claim

```
You claim Alice.
Alice claims you.
→ Alice enters your R1 as a CONFIRMED hex
→ You enter Alice's R1 as a CONFIRMED hex
→ Both see full cart resonance
→ Bond is nearly permanent
```

### Unclaiming (R1)

```
You want to remove Bob from R1.
Bob does NOT agree.
→ You cannot remove Bob unilaterally.
→ You can: Mark Bob's hex as "dormant" (you see them, they see you, no signal)
→ Bob remains in your R1 until mutual release

Bob agrees to release.
→ Bob's hex becomes DIM (permanent marker)
→ Bob cannot be replaced in that hex
→ The dim hex stands as a record of the bond
```

---

## First Cart Addition — After Onboarding

After onboarding, users can add items at any time:

```
Cart → Add Item → [Search] → [Category] → [Confirm]

Rules:
- Items broadcast immediately upon addition
- Items can be featured (3 max) — visible to all
- Items can be removed → go to Cart History (still visible to matches)
- No item can appear twice in the same cart
```

---

## Empty States

### No R1 Claimed

```
"You haven't claimed your Inner Circle yet."
- "Your 6 anchors define your world. Claim them when you're ready."
- Dim hexes remain dim. This is acceptable.
```

### Empty Cart (any category)

```
"Your [Food / Activities / Habitat] cart is empty."
- "Add your first [food item / activity / habitat item] to sharpen your signal."
- Empty categories broadcast less resonance.
```

### No R6 Occupants

```
"Your Current is still forming."
- "The cascade takes time. Check back in an hour."
- After 24hrs: "Add more to your cart to sharpen your signal."
```

---

## Anti-Frustration Design

Onboarding should never feel like:
- A job application
- A personality test
- A commitment to use the app
- A filter that ranks you

It should feel like:
- Planting seeds in a garden
- The first moves in a game
- A low-stakes identity exercise
- An invitation to come back