---
name: dashboard-home-realignment
classification: feature
success_metric: |
  A logged-in user opening /dashboard sees a flat product nav
  (Dashboard, My Collection, Lists, Decks, Scanner, then Cards +
  Community), stats sourced from /api/user/stats with no placeholder
  tiles, Recently added / My activity / last-card spotlight using
  that user's real data, the top-bar notifications + inbox + profile
  cluster flush-right, and Admin reachable only from the profile
  dropdown (not the left nav).
skip:
  - ui-design
status: shipped
shipped: 2026-08-15
created: 2026-08-15
model_policy:
  default_session: auto
  roles:
    role-conductor: composer-2.5-fast
    role-architect: composer-2.5
    role-ia-architect: composer-2.5-fast
    role-ux-reviewer: composer-2.5-fast
    role-ui-designer: composer-2.5-fast
    role-implementer: composer-2.5-fast
    role-reviewer: cursor-grok-4.5-high
    role-security-auditor: gpt-5.6-terra-medium
    role-design-system-auditor: cursor-grok-4.5-high
    role-a11y-auditor: cursor-grok-4.5-high
    role-doc-writer: auto
  escalate_to: claude-sonnet-5-thinking-medium
  escalate_to_premium: claude-4.6-opus-high-thinking
  never_premium:
    - role-reviewer
    - role-security-auditor
    - role-design-system-auditor
    - role-a11y-auditor
    - role-ui-designer
    - role-doc-writer
---

# Convoy: dashboard-home-realignment

Make `/dashboard` an honest home for returning collectors, flatten
the sidebar to match the product we actually have, and fix top-bar
chrome (right-aligned actions + admin only in the profile menu).

## Why

The `redesign-v2-from-mockups` epic shipped the visual shell (glass
sidebar, TopSearchBar, StatCard row, featured grid, activity panel,
spotlight rail). The screen still does not behave like a home:

- Sidebar IA is nested and mislabeled. `/dashboard` hides under a
  "My Collection" parent; ownership (`/my-cards`) is a sub-item
  named "Cards"; Lists / Decks / Analytics nest underneath. The
  prototype's Wishlist / Trades / Market / Events items do not
  exist as product — adding them as "Coming soon" would be
  graveyard nav.
- Dashboard stats sum list `cardCount` / `value` (double-counts
  cards in multiple lists) and show dead **Rare Cards** / **Wishlist
  Items** tiles at `0` / "Coming soon". `/api/user/stats` already
  has ownership totals, value, decks, rarity breakdown, and recent
  adds — the page does not call it.
- Featured Collection / Recent Activity / Card Spotlight mix real
  thumbnails with fake trades, fake market charts, and a demo
  Emberclaw Dragon. That trains people the home is marketing.
- TopSearchBar search uses `flex-1 max-w-2xl`, so notifications,
  inbox, and profile sit mid-bar on wide viewports instead of
  flush-right.
- Admins see **Admin Tools** in the left nav (`/admin/card-editor`)
  *and* **Admin Panel** in the profile dropdown (`/admin`). Operator
  wants a single entry: the profile menu.

`/my-cards` stays a browse/manage page (not a second dashboard).
This convoy only promotes it in nav and aligns chrome.

## Scope

### In scope

- **Flatten desktop + mobile nav.** First-class: Dashboard
  (`/dashboard`), My Collection (`/my-cards`), Lists
  (`/collections`), Decks (`/decks`), Scanner (`/scanner`). Below a
  divider: Cards catalog (`/cards`), Community (existing collapse).
  Keep locked vocab (`My Collection` / `Lists`). Do not add
  Wishlist, Trades, Market, Events, Analytics, or a top-level
  Activity item.
- **Remove left-nav Admin Tools.** Keep admin entry in
  `TopSearchBar` `<UserMenu>` (already gated on `user.role ===
  'admin'`). Architect picks one href (`/admin` vs
  `/admin/card-editor`) and applies it in the profile menu + any
  leftover mobile-drawer copy of `UserProfileDropdown`. Do not
  resurrect admin in `NavigationContent`.
- **Right-align top-bar actions.** Notifications, inbox, and
  profile cluster flush to the right edge of `TopSearchBar`. Search
  stays left / grows; leftover width after `max-w-2xl` must not
  sit to the right of the cluster. Hide the notification badge
  when count is `0` (do not invent a fake `3`).
- **Honest dashboard stats.** Fetch `/api/user/stats`. Ship three
  real tiles: Total Cards (from `user_cards`, not list sums),
  Collection Value, and a third computable metric (This month /
  Lists / Decks — IA + Architect lock). Hide Rare Cards and
  Wishlist until those features exist. Use `delta` / `subtitle`
  only when the number is real.
- **Honest home panels.** Rename Featured Collection → Recently
  added (same 8-up + empty-slot CTAs, real `/api/user-cards` or
  stats recent rows). Wire Recent Activity to the signed-in user's
  adds (stats `recentActivity` is an acceptable v1). Spotlight the
  last added / last scanned card with real metadata; hide
  price-trend, market-overview, and watchlist until a market-data
  convoy.
- **Home CTAs.** Keep Scan / Create List only for empty or new
  collections, or drop the welcome header in favor of stats —
  UX locks this. Do not keep both a long greeting *and* two
  always-on buttons.
- **Collection page chrome only.** Same max-width / padding rhythm
  as dashboard; optional one-line summary from stats. No second
  stat row, no spotlight rail on `/my-cards`.

### Out of scope

- Wishlist / Trades / Market / Events product work (queued
  follow-ups from `redesign-v2-from-mockups`, still queued).
- Daily Ember backend, Level / XP, federated ⌘K search.
- Renaming Lists → Binders.
- Real notification / inbox backends.
- Market-price history or a charting library.
- Redesigning `CardItem`, scanner, or community pages.
- Changing `/api/user/stats` auth or adding new tables.

## Roles invoked

1. `role-ia-architect` — lock the flat nav map (desktop + mobile),
   dashboard information hierarchy, and Collection-page-as-browse
   (not a second home).
2. `role-ux-reviewer` — empty-state CTAs vs greeting, third stat
   tile, activity/spotlight honesty, top-bar alignment + badge
   rules. `ui-design` skipped: incremental inside Liquid Glass;
   no new visual language.
3. `role-architect` — briefs for nav + admin relocation, TopSearchBar
   alignment, dashboard data wiring (reuse `/api/user/stats`, no
   new tables).
4. `role-implementer` — per brief.
5. Audit fan-out after PR draft: reviewer + security-auditor +
   design-system-auditor + a11y-auditor.
6. `role-doc-writer` — AGENTS.md / Layout convention note if nav
   map changes.

## Todos

- [x] IA: publish the locked nav map and dashboard outline
- [x] UX: lock greeting/CTA rule, third stat, badge-at-zero, spotlight contents
- [x] Architect: split briefs (nav+admin, top-bar, dashboard data)
- [x] Flatten `NavigationContent` + `MobileNavigation`; drop left-nav Admin Tools
- [x] Right-align TopSearchBar action cluster; badge hidden at 0
- [x] Dashboard consumes `/api/user/stats`; hide placeholder tiles
- [x] Recently added / My activity / last-card spotlight use real user data
- [x] `/my-cards` padding / max-width aligned with dashboard
- [x] Audits + docs pass

## IA

**Affected routes**

- `[modified]` `/dashboard` — honest home; stats from `/api/user/stats`
- `[modified]` `/my-cards` — summary line + shared max-width container
- `[impacted]` `/collections`, `/collection/[id]`, `/decks`, `/deck/*`, `/scanner`, `/cards`, `/community/*` — nav active states only

**User flow**

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  Login --> Dashboard
  Dashboard --> MyCards["My Collection"]
  Dashboard --> Scanner
  Dashboard --> Lists
  MyCards --> CardDetail["/card/:id"]
```

**Screen inventory**

| Screen | Path | Change | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dashboard home | `/dashboard` | Modified | 3 stat tiles, recently added, activity, latest card |
| My Collection | `/my-cards` | Modified | Browse surface; optional stats summary |
| Layout chrome | all auth pages | Modified | Flat nav; admin in profile menu only |

**Content / data model deltas**

- No schema changes. Reuse `GET /api/user/stats` and `GET /api/user-cards`.
- `user-cards` GET adds `market_price` to SELECT for spotlight display.

**Open IA questions**

- None — third stat locked to **Decks** (`totalDecks`).

## UX

**Decisions (locked)**

1. **Empty vs returning home:** Welcome + Scan/Browse CTAs only when stats load successfully *and* both `totalCards === 0` and no recent cards. Returning users see stats row only (no greeting strip).
2. **Stat row:** Three tiles — Total cards, Collection value, Decks. No Rare/Wishlist placeholders.
3. **Panels:** Featured → **Recently added**; activity from user's `recentActivity`; spotlight shows latest owned card with real fields only (no demo charts).
4. **Top bar:** Notifications badge hidden at `0`. Action cluster flush-right via `ml-auto`.
5. **Admin:** Single **Admin Tools** entry in profile dropdown (`/admin`); removed from sidebar.

## Architecture

**File plan**

| File | Action | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `components/Layout.js` | Modified | Flat nav; remove sidebar admin |
| `components/MobileNavigation.js` | Modified | Dashboard hub + Collection/Scanner/Decks |
| `components/ui/TopSearchBar.js` | Modified | Right-align actions; Admin Tools label |
| `pages/dashboard.js` | Modified | Wire `/api/user/stats` |
| `components/Dashboard*.js` | Modified | Real data panels |
| `pages/my-cards.js` | Modified | Container + summary |
| `lib/format-relative-time.js` | New | Activity timestamps |
| `pages/api/user-cards.js` | Modified | Include `market_price` in GET |

**API surface**

- No new routes. Consumers: `GET /api/user/stats`, `GET /api/user-cards` (auth required).

**Schema diff**

- None.

**Test plan**

- `test/lib/format-relative-time.test.js` (new)
- Existing `Layout.test.js`, `StatCard.test.js` regression

**Decomposition**

| Brief # | Title | Files | Depends on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Flat nav + admin relocation | Layout, MobileNavigation, TopSearchBar | — |
| 2 | Honest dashboard home | dashboard.js, Dashboard*.js, format-relative-time | — |
| 3 | My Collection chrome | my-cards.js, user-cards API | — |

```yaml
slice_dependencies:
  - brief: 1
    depends_on: []
    files: [components/Layout.js, components/MobileNavigation.js, components/ui/TopSearchBar.js]
  - brief: 2
    depends_on: []
    files: [pages/dashboard.js, components/DashboardFeaturedCollection.js, components/DashboardRecentActivity.js, components/DashboardCardSpotlight.js, lib/format-relative-time.js]
  - brief: 3
    depends_on: []
    files: [pages/my-cards.js, pages/api/user-cards.js]
```

## Audits (2026-08-15)

- **Reviewer:** No blockers after fixes (stats empty-state gate, divider, Lists active on `/collection/*`, vocab, admin label).
- **Security:** No medium+ findings; auth boundaries unchanged.
- **Design-system / a11y:** Incremental Liquid Glass; nav items retain focus rings; activity list uses semantic text.

## Doc note

Authenticated sidebar nav (2026-08-15): Dashboard → My Collection → Lists → Decks → Scanner; divider; Cards catalog + Community. Admin only in TopSearchBar profile menu.