DESIGN.md@benchmarks/visual/night-shift git:20261010.12413bdA

Immutable. This exact content never changes and is served at /api/v1/blob/6e6afc85651ed371.

# Night Shift Direction

## Chosen direction

Treat the page as a quiet night field guide: one image is the instrument, and the interface behaves like a page marker around it. The first screen is dark enough for the image's stars to remain visible, but the type is warm and paper-like rather than a generic neon space dashboard.

## Alternatives

- A dense observatory dashboard: useful for repeated measurement, but it makes a single astronomical image feel like a data tile.
- A cinematic full-screen space poster: memorable, but it hides the actual reading task and source trail.
- A field guide with changing reading distances: chosen. It gives the real M51 image an authored sequence and leaves room for facts, controls, and provenance.

## Material decisions

- `m51-galaxy.jpg` is the visual protagonist. Its wide-field view, companion, and core remain inspectable at different reading distances.
- Sora handles navigation and measurements; Newsreader handles the essay line and object title.
- Warm white, mineral green, and a small amber signal are derived from the image rather than a purple space gradient.
- Grouping uses spacing, tone, and a few soft circular markers. Repeated cards, decorative star fields, and fake telemetry are rejected.
- The zoom-like transition has a purpose: it changes how the visitor reads the same real image. Reduced motion keeps the final view and the controls usable.

## Source and rights

The local image is the original 7095x6219 Wikimedia Commons reproduction of NASA/ESA Hubble material. The source record in `../shared/assets/m51-source.json` preserves the file page, original URL, dimensions, and public-domain declaration. The page credits NASA, ESA, STScI, and the Hubble Heritage Team.