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Original framework

C.O.R.P.S.E Triage

First aid for almost-dead websites, broken offers and trust failures hiding in plain sight.

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What it is

C.O.R.P.S.E Triage is a diagnostic framework for inspecting a page, product, journey, offer or service through six lenses: Claims, Offer, Reality, Proof, Signals and Entity.

It helps teams identify where trust breaks down before they waste time polishing the interface.

The problem it solves

Teams often optimise the visible page while the real damage happened earlier. The page is where contradictions become visible, but it is not always where they were created.

C.O.R.P.S.E helps find the gap between what is promised, what is offered, what can actually be delivered, what is evidenced, what appears before the click, and how consistently the brand or offer is understood.

The six-part diagnostic

C — Claims

What is being promised?

Failure mode: Claims outrun proof: credibility problem.

O — Offer

What is actually being offered?

Failure mode: The offer does not match the pre-click story: expectation problem.

R — Reality

What can actually be delivered?

Failure mode: Reality contradicts the claim: truth problem.

P — Proof

Why should anyone believe it?

Failure mode: Proof is weak, absent or misplaced: doubt problem.

S — Signals

What story exists before the click?

Failure mode: Signals contradict on-site reality: reputation problem.

E — Entity

Is identity and meaning stable across surfaces?

Failure mode: Facts drift across touchpoints: identity problem.

How to use it

  1. Pick one body: a page, product, landing page, checkout, offer or journey.
  2. Score each C.O.R.P.S.E area as red, amber or green.
  3. Treat missing basics as red.
  4. Fix contradictions before polishing the interface.
  5. Recheck the upstream signals.

The point is not to make the page prettier. The point is to find where the story stops making sense.

Run the triage

Pick one “body”: a page, product, landing page, checkout, offer or journey. Answer honestly. Missing basics count as red.

Diagnostic tool. Not legal advice. No guarantees.

Context
Live triage 0/24 answered Status: Incomplete
  • C 0/8
  • O 0/8
  • R 0/8
  • P 0/8
  • S 0/8
  • E 0/8
1 of 6 — C — Claims

What is being promised?

0 of 4 answered Incomplete
Are the main claims specific, not just “best”, “premium”, “easy” or “trusted”?
Do the claims match what is actually offered?
Do the claims match what can actually be delivered?
Are the same claims repeated consistently across key surfaces?
2 of 6 — O — Offer

What is actually being offered?

0 of 4 answered Incomplete
Is it clear what the user gets?
Is the price or cost structure clear?
Are key terms, exclusions or conditions visible before commitment?
Is it clear who this is for and who it is not for?
3 of 6 — R — Reality

What can actually be delivered?

0 of 4 answered Incomplete
Are delivery, access, setup or fulfilment details specific?
Are returns, support, warranty or cancellation terms easy to understand?
Are operational limits or caveats visible before they become a problem?
Does the experience avoid late surprises?
4 of 6 — P — Proof

Why should anyone believe it?

0 of 4 answered Incomplete
Is there visible evidence supporting the main claims?
Is the proof specific rather than vague social proof wallpaper?
Does proof appear near the moment of doubt?
Would a cautious buyer believe the claim based on what is shown?
5 of 6 — S — Signals

What story exists before the click?

0 of 4 answered Incomplete
Do search snippets, ads, social posts or listings match the on-page offer?
Do reviews or external narratives support rather than undermine the page?
Would a user arrive with expectations the page can satisfy?
Would an AI/search summary have enough consistent information to describe the offer accurately?
6 of 6 — E — Entity

Is identity and meaning stable across surfaces?

0 of 4 answered Incomplete
Is the brand/product/service name consistent everywhere?
Are specs, prices, policies or terms consistent across surfaces?
Is the category or proposition clear?
Would a machine or human understand this as one stable entity, not a bag of haunted fragments?

Autopsy result

Scene summary

Body on the table: Not specified

Surface type: Not specified

Autopsy goal: Not specified

Overall status: Incomplete

Complete all 24 questions to generate your final diagnosis, suggested fix order and recommendations.

0 of 24 questions answered

Still to complete

    Complete all 24 questions to unlock your fix list and recommendations.

    Once C.O.R.P.S.E has exposed the trust failure, Empathy-First Experiments can help turn the finding into a stronger, evidence-led hypothesis.

    Empathy-First Experiments