v2.1.0 — Brand token adoption + homepage verdict sections

- Remap --color-brand-primary/--color-link-hover/--focus-shadow → teal tokens
- Hero search submit → lime-500/ink (CMO brief §6)
- Hero decorative shapes → teal/lime tints
- Hero wavy underline → teal
- front-page.php: verdict taxonomy explainer (5 states) + featured verdict cards
- inc/helpers.php: new brand copy defaults (hero title + subtitle)

front-page.php

@@ -2,21 +2,77 @@
 /**
  * The front page template
  *
- * Layout: Hero → Research Modules → PRAutoBlogger posts → Peptide News feed.
+ * Layout: Hero → Verdict Explainer → Featured Verdict Cards → Research Modules
- * Newsletter signup is handled by footer.php (via template part) on the front page.
+ *         → PRAutoBlogger posts → Peptide News feed.
  *
- * @see template-parts/module-cards.php — research modules grid
+ * Brand v2.0.0: Direction C "The Trusted Guide". Hero uses the 5-state verdict
- * @see template-parts/newsletter-signup.php — included via footer.php on front page
+ * taxonomy as the central explainer hook. Three featured verdict cards pull from
- * @see functions.php — helper functions for hero content
+ * real monographs (semaglutide / BPC-157 / Melanotan-II) via post meta.
+ *
+ * @see template-parts/module-cards.php       — research modules grid
+ * @see template-parts/verdict/badge.php      — verdict badge component
+ * @see template-parts/verdict/card.php       — full verdict card (monograph hero)
+ * @see inc/helpers.php                       — hero title / subtitle getters
+ * @see assets/css/brand.css                  — verdict token definitions
  *
  * @package peptide-starter
  */
 
 get_header();
+
+/**
+ * Verdict taxonomy data for the homepage explainer strip.
+ * Canonical order matches CMO brief §5.1 and the 5-state enum in verdict-meta.php.
+ */
+$verdict_taxonomy = array(
+	array(
+		'state'       => 'established',
+		'glyph'       => '✓',
+		'label'       => 'Established',
+		'description' => 'Strong RCT evidence; widely prescribed or validated.',
+	),
+	array(
+		'state'       => 'promising',
+		'glyph'       => '◐',
+		'label'       => 'Promising',
+		'description' => 'Meaningful human data accumulating; not yet RCT-strong.',
+	),
+	array(
+		'state'       => 'investigational',
+		'glyph'       => '?',
+		'label'       => 'Investigational',
+		'description' => 'Mechanism plausible; human trials sparse.',
+	),
+	array(
+		'state'       => 'insufficient',
+		'glyph'       => '⊘',
+		'label'       => 'Insufficient Evidence',
+		'description' => 'Not enough data to say anything responsible.',
+	),
+	array(
+		'state'       => 'cautionary',
+		'glyph'       => '⚠',
+		'label'       => 'Cautionary',
+		'description' => 'Active safety signals or misuse patterns.',
+	),
+);
+
+/**
+ * Featured monograph post IDs. These are the three exemplar monographs
+ * loaded during brand sprint v2.0.0 (2026-04-26).
+ * Semaglutide=211 (established), BPC-157=36 (investigational), Melanotan-II=177 (cautionary).
+ */
+$featured_monograph_ids = array( 211, 36, 177 );
 ?>
 
 <main id="main" class="site-main">
-	<!-- Hero Section -->
+
+	<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+	     HERO SECTION
+	     H1: customizer hero_title (default: "Is this peptide right for you?")
+	     Sub-head: customizer hero_subtitle (default: "What the research really says")
+	     Search: PSA plugin shortcode or fallback form; lime submit button via brand.css
+	     ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
 	<section class="hero-section">
 		<div class="hero-content">
 			<h1 class="hero-title">
@@ -60,13 +116,149 @@ get_header();
 				<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/peptides' ) ); ?>" class="ps-btn ps-btn-primary">
 					<?php esc_html_e( 'Browse Peptides', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
 				</a>
-				<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/documentation' ) ); ?>" class="ps-btn ps-btn-secondary">
+				<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/how-we-review-peptides' ) ); ?>" class="ps-btn ps-btn-secondary">
-					<?php esc_html_e( 'Documentation', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
+					<?php esc_html_e( 'Our method', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
 				</a>
 			</div>
 		</div>
 	</section>
 
+	<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+	     VERDICT TAXONOMY EXPLAINER
+	     Five verdict states shown as badge + one-line description.
+	     Educates first-time visitors on the brand's evaluation system.
+	     Rule: color + glyph + label always rendered together (§5.1 CMO brief).
+	     ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+	<section class="hero-verdict-explainer" aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Our verdict system', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>">
+		<div class="ps-container">
+			<p class="hero-verdict-explainer__heading">
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'Every peptide gets a verdict. Here\'s what they mean.', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
+			</p>
+			<div class="hero-verdict-explainer__grid">
+				<?php foreach ( $verdict_taxonomy as $v ) : ?>
+				<div class="hero-verdict-explainer__item">
+					<span
+						class="pr-verdict pr-verdict--<?php echo esc_attr( $v['state'] ); ?>"
+						role="img"
+						aria-label="<?php echo esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Verdict: %s', 'peptide-starter' ), $v['label'] ) ); ?>"
+					>
+						<span class="pr-verdict__glyph" aria-hidden="true"><?php echo esc_html( $v['glyph'] ); ?></span>
+						<span class="pr-verdict__label"><?php echo esc_html( $v['label'] ); ?></span>
+					</span>
+					<p class="hero-verdict-explainer__desc"><?php echo esc_html( $v['description'] ); ?></p>
+				</div>
+				<?php endforeach; ?>
+			</div>
+			<p class="hero-verdict-explainer__cta-line">
+				<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/how-we-review-peptides' ) ); ?>" class="ps-btn ps-btn-tertiary ps-btn-sm">
+					<?php esc_html_e( 'How we assign verdicts →', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
+				</a>
+			</p>
+		</div>
+	</section>
+
+	<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+	     FEATURED VERDICT CARDS
+	     Three exemplar monographs showing the verdict card in context.
+	     Pulls from post meta set by verdict-meta.php (verdict_state,
+	     verdict_text, signal_row_N_label, signal_row_N_glyph).
+	     Post IDs: semaglutide=211, BPC-157=36, Melanotan-II=177.
+	     ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+	<?php
+	$featured_posts = get_posts(
+		array(
+			'post__in'       => $featured_monograph_ids,
+			'post_type'      => 'peptide',
+			'posts_per_page' => 3,
+			'orderby'        => 'post__in',
+			'post_status'    => 'publish',
+		)
+	);
+	if ( ! empty( $featured_posts ) ) :
+		?>
+	<section class="hero-featured-verdicts" aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Featured peptide verdicts', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>">
+		<div class="ps-container">
+			<h2 class="hero-featured-verdicts__title"><?php esc_html_e( 'Featured verdicts', 'peptide-starter' ); ?></h2>
+			<p class="hero-featured-verdicts__subtitle">
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'Real assessments from our database — see the system in action.', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
+			</p>
+			<div class="hero-featured-verdicts__grid">
+				<?php foreach ( $featured_posts as $featured_post ) :
+					$post_id      = $featured_post->ID;
+					$verdict_state = get_post_meta( $post_id, 'verdict_state', true );
+					$verdict_text  = get_post_meta( $post_id, 'verdict_text', true );
+					$post_url      = get_permalink( $post_id );
+
+					// Verdict state config (mirrors badge.php logic).
+					$verdict_config = array(
+						'established'    => array( 'glyph' => '✓', 'label' => 'Established' ),
+						'promising'      => array( 'glyph' => '◐', 'label' => 'Promising' ),
+						'investigational'=> array( 'glyph' => '?', 'label' => 'Investigational' ),
+						'insufficient'   => array( 'glyph' => '⊘', 'label' => 'Insufficient Evidence' ),
+						'cautionary'     => array( 'glyph' => '⚠', 'label' => 'Cautionary' ),
+					);
+					$vc = isset( $verdict_config[ $verdict_state ] ) ? $verdict_config[ $verdict_state ] : null;
+
+					// Signal rows (up to 3).
+					$signal_rows = array();
+					for ( $i = 1; $i <= 3; $i++ ) {
+						$row_label = get_post_meta( $post_id, 'signal_row_' . $i . '_label', true );
+						$row_glyph = get_post_meta( $post_id, 'signal_row_' . $i . '_glyph', true );
+						if ( $row_label ) {
+							$signal_rows[] = array(
+								'label' => $row_label,
+								'glyph' => $row_glyph ? $row_glyph : '•',
+							);
+						}
+					}
+					?>
+				<article class="hero-verdict-card" aria-label="<?php echo esc_attr( get_the_title( $post_id ) ); ?>">
+					<?php if ( $vc ) : ?>
+					<span
+						class="pr-verdict pr-verdict--<?php echo esc_attr( $verdict_state ); ?> hero-verdict-card__badge"
+						role="img"
+						aria-label="<?php echo esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Verdict: %s', 'peptide-starter' ), $vc['label'] ) ); ?>"
+					>
+						<span class="pr-verdict__glyph" aria-hidden="true"><?php echo esc_html( $vc['glyph'] ); ?></span>
+						<span class="pr-verdict__label"><?php echo esc_html( $vc['label'] ); ?></span>
+					</span>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+
+					<h3 class="hero-verdict-card__title">
+						<a href="<?php echo esc_url( $post_url ); ?>"><?php echo esc_html( get_the_title( $post_id ) ); ?></a>
+					</h3>
+
+					<?php if ( $verdict_text ) : ?>
+					<p class="hero-verdict-card__summary"><?php echo esc_html( $verdict_text ); ?></p>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+
+					<?php if ( ! empty( $signal_rows ) ) : ?>
+					<ul class="hero-verdict-card__signals" aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Evidence signals', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>">
+						<?php foreach ( $signal_rows as $row ) : ?>
+						<li class="hero-verdict-card__signal-item">
+							<span class="hero-verdict-card__signal-glyph" aria-hidden="true"><?php echo esc_html( $row['glyph'] ); ?></span>
+							<?php echo esc_html( $row['label'] ); ?>
+						</li>
+						<?php endforeach; ?>
+					</ul>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+
+					<a href="<?php echo esc_url( $post_url ); ?>" class="hero-verdict-card__link">
+						<?php esc_html_e( 'Read the full evidence →', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
+					</a>
+				</article>
+				<?php endforeach; ?>
+			</div>
+
+			<div class="hero-featured-verdicts__footer">
+				<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/peptides' ) ); ?>" class="ps-btn ps-btn-secondary">
+					<?php esc_html_e( 'Browse all peptides', 'peptide-starter' ); ?>
+				</a>
+			</div>
+		</div>
+	</section>
+	<?php endif; ?>
+
 	<!-- Research Modules Grid (6 cards) -->
 	<?php get_template_part( 'template-parts/module', 'cards' ); ?>
 
@@ -95,6 +287,7 @@ get_header();
 		<?php
 	}
 	?>
+
 </main>
 
 <?php get_footer(); ?>

inc/helpers.php

@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ function peptide_starter_the_custom_logo() {
  * @return string Hero title text.
  */
 function peptide_starter_get_hero_title() {
-	return get_theme_mod( 'hero_title', get_bloginfo( 'name' ) );
+	return get_theme_mod( 'hero_title', esc_html__( 'Is this peptide right for you?', 'peptide-starter' ) );
 }
 
 /**
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ function peptide_starter_get_hero_title() {
  * @return string Hero subtitle text.
  */
 function peptide_starter_get_hero_subtitle() {
-	return get_theme_mod( 'hero_subtitle', esc_html__( 'A scientific peptide reference database', 'peptide-starter' ) );
+	return get_theme_mod( 'hero_subtitle', esc_html__( 'What the research really says', 'peptide-starter' ) );
 }
 
 /**