The Attention Lab
A Field Tool for Evaluating Art's Attention Value
Think of an artwork's "attention value" as how well it attracts, holds, deepens, guides, and lingers in a viewer's mind. You can score that without mysticism or clairvoyance — just eyes, time, and honest observation.
This tool gives you 10 metrics to evaluate any artwork. Whether you're an artist critiquing your own work, a viewer trying to understand why something captivates you, or an educator teaching visual literacy — this rubric makes attention measurable and shareable.
How to Use This Tool
Three Timed Passes
- T0 (0–15s): Entry. What does your eye do first?
- T1 (1–3 min): Grip & Guidance. Does it steer you or do you meander?
- T2 (3–7 min): Deepening. Does discovery hold or increase?
Score Each Metric
Use a 0–5 scale for each of the 10 metrics below. Be specific and write down evidence for each score.
Calculate Total
Add up your scores (max 50). Then convert to a 0–100 index. 35–40+ = strong attention engine.
Sample Scoring
Hook (Entry Pull)
Initial attraction without gimmick; the first 15 seconds of looking.
Scale
Prompts
- Where did your eye land first and why?
- Name the specific device (edge, value jump, scale shock).
Example Evidence
Try scoring an artwork you're looking at right now. What grabbed your attention first?
Stickiness (Time-on-Look)
How long attention sustains without boredom.
Scale
Prompts
- How long before you want to step away?
Example Evidence
Does the work hold your attention for minutes, not seconds?
Deepening (New Finds/min)
Discovery rate over minutes 1–7; compounding relations.
Scale
Prompts
- List three new relations you noticed between minutes 3–6.
Example Evidence
Do you keep finding new things the longer you look?
Guidance (Compositional Intent)
Steering of the eye via edges/intervals/repeats; diagrammable paths.
Scale
Prompts
- Sketch the route your eye takes (focal → counterform → rest).
Example Evidence
Does the composition guide your eye deliberately?
Coherence (Edge-to-Edge Integrity)
Every inch earns its keep; no dead paint holes.
Scale
Prompts
- Point to the laziest square inch; why?
Example Evidence
Is every part of the work alive and intentional?
Material Necessity
Do ground/scale/reflectance feel required for the effect?
Scale
Prompts
- Name the parameter that would break the effect if changed.
Example Evidence
Would changing the material fundamentally change the work?
Embodiment (Viewer Movement)
Does the work train your body—close/far, left/right—because readings unlock?
Scale
Prompts
- What did moving your body change in the reading?
Example Evidence
Do you need to move around to fully experience it?
Afterimage / Afterthought
Persistence of optical/tactile memory after looking away.
Scale
Prompts
- Describe what returns unbidden an hour later.
Example Evidence
Does the work stick with you after you leave?
Return Impulse (Next-Day)
Desire to revisit; curiosity pressure.
Scale
Prompts
- What unresolved question pulls you back?
Example Evidence
Do you want to see it again tomorrow?
Intersubjective Traction
Independent viewers converge on seen features.
Scale
Prompts
- Overlap between three viewers' seen facts (A∩B)/ (A∪B).
Example Evidence
Do different people notice the same things?