Humans scan faces first. Clear emotion at small size beats subtle acting. Curiosity gaps work when the video pays them off in the first half minute.
Color contrast is not “make it neon.” It is making the subject separable from the background in a crowded shelf of similar niches.
Ethical packaging
Misleading shock burns trust and retention. Pattern interrupts that are true to the content compound growth. That is the psychology worth optimizing.
Validate the feeling
If two emotional directions both feel right, do not argue — A/B. Psychology suggests principles; traffic decides the instance.