---
id: S04
parent: M006
milestone: M006
provides:
  - Technique page sidebar with plugins-first ordering
  - Prominent creator block with genre pills
  - Per-category badge color system (6 categories)
requires:
  []
affects:
  []
key_files:
  - frontend/src/pages/TechniquePage.tsx
  - frontend/src/App.css
key_decisions:
  - Category slug conversion uses toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, '-') for CSS class derivation — matches common CSS naming convention and handles multi-word categories like 'Sound Design' → 'sound-design'
patterns_established:
  - Per-category color system: CSS custom property pairs (--color-badge-cat-{slug}-bg/text) with matching utility classes (.badge--cat-{slug}), base class as fallback for unknown values
observability_surfaces:
  - none
drill_down_paths:
  - .gsd/milestones/M006/slices/S04/tasks/T01-SUMMARY.md
duration: ""
verification_result: passed
completed_at: 2026-03-30T11:35:20.065Z
blocker_discovered: false
---

# S04: Technique Page: Sidebar Reorder, Creator Emphasis, Tag Polish

**Reordered technique page sidebar (plugins first), added prominent creator block with genre pills, and implemented per-category badge color system with 6 category-specific color pairs.**

## What Happened

Single-task slice that made three visual improvements to the technique page:

**Sidebar reorder:** The Plugins Referenced section was moved to the top of the sidebar column, before Key Moments, Signal Chains, and Related Techniques. This puts the most actionable reference (what plugins to use) first.

**Creator emphasis:** The creator name was extracted from the inline meta row and placed in a new dedicated `technique-header__creator-block` between the page title and the meta badges. The creator link is now 1.125rem / weight 600 with accent coloring. When the creator has genres, they render as small pills alongside the name.

**Category badge colors:** Six per-category color pairs (sound-design, mixing, synthesis, arrangement, workflow, mastering) were added as CSS custom properties. Each category gets a `.badge--cat-{slug}` class applied dynamically via `displayCategory.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, '-')`. The base `.badge--category` indigo style remains as fallback for any unrecognized category.

## Verification

TypeScript compilation (`cd frontend && npx tsc --noEmit`) passed with zero errors. Vite production build (`cd frontend && npx vite build`) succeeded — 47 modules transformed, built in 813ms. Grep verification confirmed: plugins section at line 418 (first in sidebar div at 415), creator-block at line 230 between h1 and meta div, 12 new CSS custom properties (6 categories × bg+text), 6 `.badge--cat-*` CSS classes, dynamic category class derivation in JSX.

## Requirements Advanced

- R006 — Technique page sidebar reordered for usability (plugins first), creator given visual prominence, category badges now color-coded per category

## Requirements Validated

None.

## New Requirements Surfaced

None.

## Requirements Invalidated or Re-scoped

None.

## Deviations

None.

## Known Limitations

The verification commands in the slice plan specify `cd frontend && npx tsc --noEmit && npx vite build` but the auto-mode verification gate ran them from the project root, causing false failures. The code itself is correct.

## Follow-ups

None.

## Files Created/Modified

- `frontend/src/pages/TechniquePage.tsx` — Moved plugins section to top of sidebar, added creator-block with genre pills between h1 and meta row, dynamic category badge class derivation
- `frontend/src/App.css` — Added 12 per-category CSS custom properties, 6 .badge--cat-* classes, creator-block/creator-link/pill--genre-small styles, removed old .technique-header__creator rules
