`pending-approval/done/frontpage-four-horsemen-review-20260623.md`

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# Front Page Review — designerwallcoverings.com — Four-Horsemen Design Panel

**Date:** 2026-06-23 · **Reviewer:** vp-dw-commerce surface · **Status:** ✅ PUBLISHED LIVE (Steve-approved 2026-06-23)
**Question asked:** "Is the front page professional? Ask the 4 horsemen and fix if needed." → "stage the dev-theme sprint and dtd." → "open it on-screen" → "approved."

## 🚀 PUBLISHED LIVE 2026-06-23
- **Live theme now:** `Steves Version 5.2 (front-page sprint 2026-06-23)` — id **143955820595** (role=main).
- **Instant rollback:** `Steves Version 5.1` — id **143933472819** (now unpublished; re-publish it to revert everything).
- **Verified live** via curl on designerwallcoverings.com: footer apostrophe = single correct "nation's", trade bar present (desktop + mobile), scrim/overlay CSS marker present, `cf-cache-status: DYNAMIC` (fresh).
- All edits are pure settings/CSS — fully reversible.

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## ✅ STAGED & VERIFIED ON DEV THEME (2026-06-23) — live untouched

Per DTD verdict B (3/3 unanimous), the P0+P1 sprint was staged on a **fresh clone of the current live theme**, not the stale documented dev theme (whose homepage is a different `newwall-home` lineage and would misrepresent the fix).

- **Dev theme:** `[Dev] Front-Page Sprint 2026-06-23 (from 5.1)` — id **143955820595** (unpublished; a 395-asset 1:1 clone of live main `Steves Version 5.1` / 143933472819).
- **Preview (while logged into admin):** `https://designer-laboratory-sandbox.myshopify.com/?preview_theme_id=143955820595`
- **Theme editor:** `https://admin.shopify.com/store/designer-laboratory-sandbox/themes/143955820595/editor`

| Fix | File patched | Verified in preview |
|---|---|---|
| **P0** footer apostrophe → "the **nation's** leading resource" | `sections/footer-group.json` | ✅ bug gone (`nation's leading resource`) |
| **P1** above-fold trade value bar (repurposed the dormant `pxs-announcement-bar`: enabled + retext, charcoal #262626 / #fff, links to trade-only-benefits; desktop + mobile-short copy) | `sections/header-group.json` | ✅ renders both variants |
| **P1** mobile hero overlay — title/subhead/CTA now absolute-positioned OVER the image (was stranded below it) | `sections/home-slideshow.liquid` (scoped `<style>`) | ✅ `contentOverlapsImage:true` + visual |
| **P1** hero contrast scrim (gradient behind hero text, stronger on mobile) | same | ✅ legible desktop + mobile |

Screenshots: `audits/frontpage-review/dev-desktop-hero.jpeg`, `dev-mobile-hero.jpeg` (after) vs `dw-hero-viewport.jpeg`, `dw-mobile-top.jpeg` (before). Patch scripts: `shopify/frontpage-sprint/`. Staging commit `ec7c74e8`.

**To publish live (Steve-gated):** approve, then publish theme `143955820595` to main (or cherry-pick the 3 patched assets onto live 5.1). All edits are pure settings/CSS — fully reversible by re-publishing 5.1. **Not done without your explicit go.**

---

## TL;DR — Is the front page professional?

**Yes — professional and structurally sound, but "very good e-commerce," not yet "flagship."** No live regression. Panel: 2× NEEDS-WORK (graphic, UX) / 1× COMPLIANT (structural) / 1× 2.5-of-5 advisory (interior). The staged sprint above closes the embarrassing typo + the highest-value polish gaps.

### Panel scorecard
| Horseman | Verdict | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Graphic Designer | NEEDS-WORK | 3 / 5 |
| 2 · UI/UX Designer | NEEDS-WORK | (IA 3, CTA 2, nav 3, trust 4, mobile 2, conversion 2) |
| 3 · Standing-Rules Steward | COMPLIANT | structural pass |
| 4 · Interior Designer (advisory) | advisory | 2.5 / 5 |

## Regression myth, put to rest
`window.Flickity === undefined` on homepage AND `/collections/new-arrivals` — the init-abort fingerprint (`reference_dw_theme_grid_init_abort`). But **latent, not live**: collection grids are Boost-SD-rendered (independent of Flickity), measured `giantImages:0`, no overflow, sort + density controls both present. The "all grids blow up" symptom does NOT manifest on the current layout. Footer "Wallpaper Glossary/Calculator" = allowed (SEO carve-out).

## Deferred (P2/P3 — NOT in this sprint)
- **P2:** move press band up below hero; unify section-header typography; Brand McKenzie editorial framing; pull COLOR/MATERIAL out of primary nav + add SAMPLES.
- **P3 (creative call, yours):** interior designer recommends swapping the butterfly-triptych hero for a full-bleed in-situ room (wallcovering as protagonist) and committing each scroll to one color story. Say the word and I'll mock options.