Mockup J — Aspirational Tier Framing (speculative)

Six techniques in play

1. Tier-progress card replaces the static "Builder · Plaza" identity. Shows current tier → next tier, gold-gradient progress bar at 47%, and a concrete "12 builds to go" outcome label. Achievement framing, not gate framing.
2. Horizon ring on the radial — the green dashed polygon is the user's current cap (Builder); the gold dashed polygon further out is Architect's cap. Both labeled. The user sees the room they have AND the room they could have, in the same view, without leaving the dashboard.
3. Achievement markers — small gold dots inside the polygon at thresholds the builder has crossed ("First 100 prims," "First PBR material," "First normal map"). Hover for the label. Each is a memory; together they tell the builder's story.
4. "Room to grow" inversion in the headroom section — the same bars from Mockup I but flipped: instead of "32% used" the readout says "68% open." Same data, positive framing. Builders with lots of headroom see their canvas, not a cap.
5. Locked-as-teaser tile — the ANIMESH dimension shows "Architect" in muted gold instead of being hidden. The user sees the dimension exists; it lights up when they get there. Better than a popup or a paywall — the feature space is part of their dashboard, just not yet active.
6. "See Architect tier" lens button — a single press previews what this dashboard would look like one tier up. Caps slide outward, locked dimensions activate, polygon has room to grow. After 5 seconds it fades back. Imagination beats explanation; the user gets to *see themselves there* without ever leaving Builder tier.

Real-world inspiration

• Dropbox / Google Drive storage rings — visible empty arc IS the pitch. No popups; the chrome itself is the surface.
• Apple Watch fitness rings — closing the rings is rewarding regardless of subscription; tier adds new challenges, not unlock-needed features.
• Frequent-flyer tier ladders — "47% to Gold" framing makes the user feel arriving, not denied.
• Strava Pro heatmap — shows what you'd do at the next tier (more regions on the map), not what you'd get.
• RPG XP bars — progress to next level IS the aspiration. The Akashic header already uses this exact idiom; we just extend it across the tier ladder.
• Linear free-tier issue caps — at the cap: "you're getting a lot of value out of Linear" frames usage as testament, not obstacle.

Honest-vs-manipulative line

The techniques above stay on the aspirational side because they:

• Show what the user could create, not what they'd get.
• Make the upgrade prompt part of the chrome they already live in — no separate ad surface.
• Frame caps as testament to use, not denial of intent.
• Celebrate the journey within the current tier (achievements, headroom positivity).
• Never use urgency, FOMO, popups, or friction-at-the-moment-of-value.

The line is "treat the user as the hero of the story." The Akashic dashboard already does this for character progression; the Budget Dashboard extends the same treatment to creative-resource progression.

Open questions for tech / product / Allen

• Q18: Adopt aspirational tier-framing direction for the Budget Dashboard? UX-track recommendation: yes — keeps the dashboard's game-feel coherent and turns the tier ladder into a journey, not a wall.
• Q19: Tier names. "Builder → Architect → Worldsmith" is a placeholder. Product / Allen pick the actual ladder; UX-track will swap the labels in.
• Q20: Achievement system. Are there existing BBWorlds achievements we can wire into the radial markers, or do we need an ADR for achievement tracking first? (Probably the latter — this becomes a candidate future ADR.)
• Q21: "See next tier" lens — implementation cost is modest (~50 LOC, just a state toggle that swaps cap polygons + tile values), but it requires the tier-config to be queryable client-side. Tech track confirm that's reasonable?
• Q22: Locked dimensions as faded teasers vs hidden entirely. UX-track strongly prefers teasers; product may prefer hidden for simpler free-tier UX. Discuss.

Phase placement

• This is not Phase 1 ADR-126 scope. Phase 1 ships Mockup I (the dashboard itself); Mockup J's tier-aspirational chrome is a Phase 2/3 add — depends on ADR-107 (tier model) being live and ADR-117 having shipped its base visualization.
• The dashboard chrome should ship tier-aware from day 1 even if visually agnostic — i.e., reserve the slot for the tier-progress card and horizon ring even if free-tier users just see "Builder" with no aspirational comparison. Retrofit is cheaper if the layout already accommodates it.