diff --git a/examples/talkorigins-modern.site.json b/examples/talkorigins-modern.site.json
index e2bfa14..904cafb 100644
--- a/examples/talkorigins-modern.site.json
+++ b/examples/talkorigins-modern.site.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "lang": "en",
   "title": "TalkOrigins Archive: Modernized Preview",
   "site_title": "TalkOrigins Archive",
-  "description": "A SciSiteForge proof-of-concept for the www2.talkorigins.org modernization line.",
+  "description": "A SciSiteForge proof-of-concept for poc1.talkorigins.org and the TalkOrigins Archive modernization line.",
   "license": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
   "github_url": "https://git.cns.fyi/welsberr/talkorigins-modern",
   "contact_email": "feedback@talkorigins.org",
@@ -35,52 +35,59 @@
     ]
   },
   "navigation": [
-    { "label": "Home", "href": "/" },
-    { "label": "Support", "href": "/foundation/2026-update/" },
-    { "label": "Search", "href": "/search/" }
+    { "label": "Start Here", "href": "#start" },
+    { "label": "Key Resources", "href": "#resources" },
+    { "label": "Search", "href": "https://www.talkorigins.org/search/" },
+    { "label": "Roadmap", "href": "#roadmap" },
+    { "label": "Support", "href": "#roadmap" }
   ],
   "hero": {
     "kicker": "Archive Preview",
-    "title": "A cleaner, more readable TalkOrigins Archive that still feels like the Archive.",
-    "lede": "Modernization is already underway: stable Archive articles, dynamic sister-site commentary, corpus-aware search, and claim-centered notebooks can coexist without collapsing into a single CMS.",
+    "title": "A clearer front door for the TalkOrigins Archive.",
+    "lede": "The modernization work keeps the Archive's stable reference role while making it easier for a first-time reader to find explanations, claims, search tools, and sister Foundation resources.",
     "actions": [
-      { "label": "Open the preview", "href": "/#overview", "primary": true },
-      { "label": "View support update", "href": "/foundation/2026-update/", "primary": false }
+      { "label": "Start with the overview", "href": "#start", "primary": true },
+      { "label": "See the roadmap", "href": "#roadmap", "primary": false }
     ]
   },
   "content": {
     "feature_cards": [
       {
-        "title": "Stable Archive, Modern Access",
-        "body": "The preview keeps the Archive's durable explanatory role while making the reading surface responsive, easier to scan, and easier to route through search.",
-        "href": "/",
-        "meta": "modernization"
+        "title": "New to the topic?",
+        "body": "Start with readable explanations that separate the scientific issues from the rhetoric around them.",
+        "href": "https://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-misconceptions.html",
+        "meta": "Archive guide",
+        "link_label": "Read a sample FAQ"
       },
       {
-        "title": "Foundation Search",
-        "body": "Search can select among TalkOrigins, TalkDesign, Panda's Thumb, Panda's Thumb MT, and the Index to Creationist Claims as separate corpora.",
-        "href": "/search/",
-        "meta": "workbench"
+        "title": "Looking for a specific claim?",
+        "body": "The Index to Creationist Claims gives readers a direct path from a familiar claim to a response and references.",
+        "href": "https://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/",
+        "meta": "Claim index",
+        "link_label": "Open the Index"
       },
       {
-        "title": "Support Update",
-        "body": "The public update explains that modernization is already underway and that the stable Archive/dynamic commentary split is intentional.",
-        "href": "/foundation/2026-update/",
-        "meta": "public proof"
+        "title": "Searching across Foundation sites?",
+        "body": "Foundation search keeps TalkOrigins, TalkDesign, Panda's Thumb, Panda's Thumb MT, and the claim index as distinct selectable corpora.",
+        "href": "https://www.talkorigins.org/search/",
+        "meta": "Search",
+        "link_label": "Search the sites"
       }
     ],
     "section_cards": [
       {
         "title": "Featured FAQ: Misconceptions",
         "body": "A representative long-form Archive article demonstrates how legacy explanatory material can be presented in the modern theme.",
-        "href": "/faqs/faq-misconceptions/",
-        "meta": "Archive article"
+        "href": "https://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-misconceptions.html",
+        "meta": "Archive article",
+        "link_label": "Read the FAQ"
       },
       {
         "title": "Featured Claim: CA100",
         "body": "A representative Index to Creationist Claims entry shows the claim-centered path into evidence and rebuttal material.",
-        "href": "/indexcc/CA100/",
-        "meta": "Index claim"
+        "href": "https://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA100.html",
+        "meta": "Index claim",
+        "link_label": "Read the claim entry"
       }
     ],
     "bibliography_entries": [
@@ -107,18 +114,18 @@
   "notebooks": [
     {
       "id": "evidence-and-claims",
-      "title": "Evidence and Claims Notebook",
-      "summary": "A reusable study module that can connect stable Archive articles, Index to Creationist Claims entries, guided concepts, and bibliography updates.",
-      "audience": "self-learners, instructors, and board-reviewed site editors",
+      "title": "Evidence and Claims Reading Path",
+      "summary": "A guided path can connect stable Archive articles, Index to Creationist Claims entries, search results, and bibliography updates without hiding where each source came from.",
+      "audience": "interested lay readers, instructors, and site editors",
       "goals": [
         "Move from a claim to the relevant evidence and archive context",
         "Keep stable source material separate from dynamic commentary",
-        "Expose provenance, citations, and review status as first-class study material"
+        "Show provenance, citations, and review status as part of the reading experience"
       ],
       "apps": [
         {
           "title": "Public search",
-          "href": "/search/",
+          "href": "https://www.talkorigins.org/search/",
           "description": "Search across Foundation corpora and the Index to Creationist Claims"
         }
       ],
@@ -126,5 +133,27 @@
       "max_items": 8
     }
   ],
+  "roadmap": [
+    {
+      "title": "Replace the preview placeholders with real Archive pages",
+      "status": "Next",
+      "body": "Use the modernization theme on selected high-value FAQs and claim pages so readers can evaluate actual content, not just a shell."
+    },
+    {
+      "title": "Promote corpus-aware Foundation search",
+      "status": "Next",
+      "body": "Make search visible from each Foundation-associated domain with Index and local-domain corpora selected by default."
+    },
+    {
+      "title": "Connect support messaging to visible modernization work",
+      "status": "Planned",
+      "body": "Use the proof-of-concept site to show that the Archive is being actively maintained while preserving the stable Archive and dynamic commentary split."
+    },
+    {
+      "title": "Add guided reading paths",
+      "status": "Planned",
+      "body": "Generalize the notebook pattern into reader-friendly paths that help users move from questions, claims, and classroom needs to reliable Archive material."
+    }
+  ],
   "content_sources": {}
 }
diff --git a/scisiteforge/content.py b/scisiteforge/content.py
index e15add6..4323dc4 100644
--- a/scisiteforge/content.py
+++ b/scisiteforge/content.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ class ContentCard:
     meta: str = ""
     kind: str = "feature"
     source: str = ""
+    link_label: str = "Read More"
 
 
 @dataclass(slots=True)
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ def cards_from_config(items: list[dict[str, Any]], *, default_kind: str) -> list
                 meta=str(item.get("meta") or item.get("kind") or default_kind),
                 kind=str(item.get("kind") or default_kind),
                 source=str(item.get("source") or item.get("id") or title.lower().replace(" ", "-")),
+                link_label=str(item.get("link_label") or item.get("label") or "Read More"),
             )
         )
     return cards
diff --git a/scripts/build.py b/scripts/build.py
index 4de5e4e..9c84fb3 100644
--- a/scripts/build.py
+++ b/scripts/build.py
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ def _language_options_html(languages: list[dict[str, str]], current_lang: str) -
         for item in languages
         if item.get("coverage", True) or item.get("code") == current_lang
     ]
+    if len(visible_languages) <= 1:
+        return ""
     return "\n".join(
         f'<option value="{html_escape(item["code"])}" {"selected" if item["code"] == current_lang else ""}>{html_escape(item["name"])}</option>'
         for item in visible_languages
@@ -85,6 +87,41 @@ def _language_policy_html(language_policy: dict[str, Any]) -> str:
     return f'<p class="language-policy-note">Planned languages: {planned_names}</p>'
 
 
+def _roadmap_html(roadmap: list[dict[str, Any]], language_policy: dict[str, Any]) -> str:
+    items = []
+    for item in roadmap:
+        if not isinstance(item, dict):
+            continue
+        title = html_escape(item.get("title", "Roadmap item"))
+        body = html_escape(item.get("body", ""))
+        status = html_escape(item.get("status", "Planned"))
+        items.append(f'<li><strong>{title}</strong> <span class="meta">{status}</span><p>{body}</p></li>')
+    planned_languages = language_policy.get("planned_languages", [])
+    planned_names = ", ".join(
+        html_escape(item.get("name", item.get("code", "")))
+        for item in planned_languages
+        if isinstance(item, dict) and (item.get("name") or item.get("code"))
+    )
+    if planned_names:
+        items.append(
+            '<li><strong>Multilingual access</strong> <span class="meta">Planned</span>'
+            f'<p>Language options will appear only when reviewed coverage exists. Target languages under consideration: {planned_names}.</p></li>'
+        )
+    if not items:
+        return ""
+    return '<ul class="roadmap-list">' + "\n".join(items) + "</ul>"
+
+
+def _language_selector_html(language_options: str) -> str:
+    if not language_options:
+        return ""
+    return (
+        '<select id="lang-switch" aria-label="Language" onchange="switchLanguage(this.value)">'
+        f"{language_options}"
+        "</select>"
+    )
+
+
 def _hero_actions_html(actions: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> str:
     if not actions:
         return ""
@@ -120,7 +157,7 @@ def _render_cards(cards: list, template_path: str | Path, lang: str) -> str:
                     "section_excerpt": html_escape(card.body),
                     "section_path": html_escape(card.source or card.title.lower().replace(" ", "-")),
                     "href": html_escape(card.href),
-                    "link_label": "Open",
+                    "link_label": html_escape(card.link_label),
                 },
             )
         )
@@ -175,6 +212,7 @@ def build_site(config_file: str | Path, output_dir: str | Path) -> dict[str, Any
         "page_class": html_escape(theme.page_class),
         "navigation_html": _navigation_html(config.get("navigation", [])),
         "language_options": _language_options_html(languages, config.get("lang", "en")),
+        "language_selector_html": _language_selector_html(_language_options_html(languages, config.get("lang", "en"))),
         "language_policy_html": _language_policy_html(language_policy),
         "hero_kicker": html_escape(hero.get("kicker", theme.display_name)),
         "hero_title": html_escape(hero.get("title", config.get("title", ""))),
@@ -188,6 +226,7 @@ def build_site(config_file: str | Path, output_dir: str | Path) -> dict[str, Any
             for card in site_content.bibliography_entries
         ),
         "notebook_html": render_notebooks(notebooks, site_content),
+        "roadmap_html": _roadmap_html(config.get("roadmap", []), language_policy),
     }
     page_context.update(
         {
diff --git a/templates/app-card.html b/templates/app-card.html
index 7b6c578..3546c96 100644
--- a/templates/app-card.html
+++ b/templates/app-card.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <article class="card feature-card">
   <h3>{{ app_title }}</h3>
   <p>{{ app_description }}</p>
-  <a href="/{{ lang }}/apps/{{ app_slug }}/" class="btn button-link">Launch App</a>
+  <a href="{{ href }}" class="btn button-link">{{ link_label }}</a>
 </article>
diff --git a/templates/notebook-section.html b/templates/notebook-section.html
index c4f80eb..757083e 100644
--- a/templates/notebook-section.html
+++ b/templates/notebook-section.html
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
   <h3>{{ section_title }}</h3>
   <p class="meta">{{ section_meta }}</p>
   <p class="excerpt">{{ section_excerpt }}</p>
-  <button class="expand-btn btn button-link" data-src="/{{ lang }}/notebook/{{ section_path }}">Show</button>
+  <a href="{{ href }}" class="btn button-link">{{ link_label }}</a>
   <div class="content"></div>
 </div>
diff --git a/tests/test_scisiteforge.py b/tests/test_scisiteforge.py
index 80b1abd..2dd4548 100644
--- a/tests/test_scisiteforge.py
+++ b/tests/test_scisiteforge.py
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ class SciSiteForgeTests(unittest.TestCase):
                     "body": "Corpus-aware search entry point.",
                     "href": "/search/",
                     "meta": "workbench",
+                    "link_label": "Search",
                 }
             ],
             default_kind="feature",
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ class SciSiteForgeTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(cards[0].kind, "feature")
         self.assertEqual(cards[0].href, "/search/")
         self.assertEqual(cards[0].meta, "workbench")
+        self.assertEqual(cards[0].link_label, "Search")
 
     def test_build_site_renders_selected_theme_and_content(self) -> None:
         from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
@@ -236,10 +238,11 @@ class SciSiteForgeTests(unittest.TestCase):
             build.build_site(config_path, out_dir)
 
             html = (out_dir / "index.html").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
-            self.assertIn('<option value="en" selected>English</option>', html)
+            self.assertNotIn('<select id="lang-switch"', html)
             self.assertNotIn('value="es"', html)
             self.assertNotIn('value="fr"', html)
-            self.assertIn("Planned languages: Español, Français", html)
+            self.assertIn("Multilingual access", html)
+            self.assertIn("Target languages under consideration: Español, Français", html)
 
     def test_notebook_pattern_groups_goals_apps_and_source_cards(self) -> None:
         from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
diff --git a/theme/themes/talkorigins-modern/base.html b/theme/themes/talkorigins-modern/base.html
index 00b0205..7d81754 100644
--- a/theme/themes/talkorigins-modern/base.html
+++ b/theme/themes/talkorigins-modern/base.html
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@
       </div>
       <nav class="top-nav" aria-label="Primary navigation">
         {{ navigation_html }}
-        <select id="lang-switch" onchange="switchLanguage(this.value)">
-          {{ language_options }}
-        </select>
-        {{ language_policy_html }}
+        {{ language_selector_html }}
       </nav>
     </header>
 
@@ -46,27 +43,27 @@
             </div>
           </div>
           <div class="continuity-note hero-note">
-            <p class="eyebrow">Framework</p>
-            <h2>Modular, static, and reviewable</h2>
-            <p>This theme is intended to prove the modernization line without giving up the archive posture.</p>
+            <p class="eyebrow">What This Is</p>
+            <h2>A preview of a working modernization path</h2>
+            <p>The Archive remains a stable reference library. The redesign makes that library easier to read, search, and connect to sister Foundation resources.</p>
             <ul class="link-list compact-list">
-              <li>Responsive reading</li>
-              <li>Reusable content blocks</li>
-              <li>Search and bibliography ready</li>
+              <li>Stable explanatory articles</li>
+              <li>Claim-centered entry points</li>
+              <li>Search across Foundation corpora</li>
             </ul>
           </div>
         </div>
       </section>
 
-      <section class="content-panel">
-        <h2>Feature cards</h2>
+      <section id="start" class="content-panel lead-panel">
+        <h2>Start Here</h2>
         <div class="feature-grid">
           {{ feature_cards_html }}
         </div>
       </section>
 
-      <section class="content-panel">
-        <h2>Notebook and app content</h2>
+      <section id="resources" class="content-panel resources-panel">
+        <h2>Key Resources</h2>
         {{ notebook_html }}
         <div class="section-grid">
           {{ section_cards_html }}
@@ -74,12 +71,17 @@
         </div>
       </section>
 
-      <section class="content-panel">
-        <h2>Bibliography</h2>
+      <section id="references" class="content-panel">
+        <h2>Reference Context</h2>
         <ul class="archive-list bibliography-list">
           {{ bibliography_html }}
         </ul>
       </section>
+
+      <section id="roadmap" class="content-panel roadmap-panel">
+        <h2>Roadmap</h2>
+        {{ roadmap_html }}
+      </section>
     </main>
 
     <footer class="site-footer">
diff --git a/theme/themes/talkorigins-modern/style.css b/theme/themes/talkorigins-modern/style.css
index abdfe4b..6db914e 100644
--- a/theme/themes/talkorigins-modern/style.css
+++ b/theme/themes/talkorigins-modern/style.css
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
   --gold: #b18d33;
   --gold-soft: #f3e4b3;
   --brick-soft: #efe1dc;
-  --shadow: 0 22px 55px rgba(20, 33, 53, 0.1);
+  --shadow: 0 18px 42px rgba(20, 33, 53, 0.09);
+  --card-shadow: 0 8px 20px rgba(20, 33, 53, 0.06);
   --max-width: 1180px;
   --article-width: 760px;
 }
@@ -71,15 +72,21 @@ a:hover {
 .article-body,
 .side-card,
 .site-footer,
-.continuity-note,
-.feature-card,
-.section-card {
+.continuity-note {
   background: var(--panel);
   border: 1px solid var(--line);
   border-radius: 22px;
   box-shadow: var(--shadow);
 }
 
+.feature-card,
+.section-card {
+  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.58);
+  border: 1px solid var(--line);
+  border-radius: 10px;
+  box-shadow: var(--card-shadow);
+}
+
 .site-header,
 .site-footer,
 .hero-panel,
@@ -165,10 +172,12 @@ a:hover {
   display: flex;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
   gap: 10px;
+  align-items: center;
 }
 
 .top-nav a,
-.button-link {
+.button-link,
+.top-nav select {
   display: inline-flex;
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: center;
@@ -181,11 +190,16 @@ a:hover {
 }
 
 .top-nav a,
-.button-link.button-link-secondary {
+.button-link.button-link-secondary,
+.top-nav select {
   background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.82);
   color: var(--ink);
 }
 
+.top-nav select {
+  font: 600 0.95rem/1.2 "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
+}
+
 .button-link,
 .top-nav a:first-child {
   background: linear-gradient(180deg, var(--blue), var(--blue-deep));
@@ -292,6 +306,12 @@ a:hover {
   border-top: 5px solid rgba(177, 141, 51, 0.45);
 }
 
+.resources-panel {
+  background:
+    linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.98), rgba(244, 248, 252, 0.96));
+  border-top: 5px solid rgba(33, 79, 148, 0.34);
+}
+
 .preview-panel {
   background:
     linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(244, 248, 252, 0.92), rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.96));
@@ -335,6 +355,15 @@ a:hover {
   opacity: 0.85;
 }
 
+.feature-card .button-link,
+.section-card .button-link {
+  min-height: 38px;
+  margin-top: 0.45rem;
+  padding: 0.55rem 0.78rem;
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  font-size: 0.88rem;
+}
+
 .lead-panel .feature-card:nth-child(4n + 1),
 .direction-panel .feature-card:nth-child(3n + 1),
 .section-card:nth-child(4n + 1) {
@@ -525,11 +554,13 @@ a:hover {
 }
 
 .notebook-panel {
-  border: 1px solid var(--line);
-  border-radius: 8px;
+  border: 1px solid rgba(22, 54, 89, 0.14);
+  border-left: 5px solid var(--blue);
+  border-radius: 12px;
   padding: 1.25rem;
   margin: 1rem 0 1.5rem;
-  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.84);
+  background:
+    linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(244, 248, 252, 0.9), rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.86));
 }
 
 .notebook-panel h2,
@@ -556,6 +587,24 @@ a:hover {
   margin-top: 0.5rem;
 }
 
+.roadmap-list,
+.bibliography-list {
+  margin: 0;
+  padding-left: 1.2rem;
+}
+
+.roadmap-list li + li,
+.bibliography-list li + li {
+  margin-top: 0.9rem;
+}
+
+.roadmap-list p {
+  max-width: 72ch;
+  margin: 0.35rem 0 0;
+  color: var(--muted);
+  line-height: 1.6;
+}
+
 a:focus-visible,
 button:focus-visible {
   outline: 3px solid #e5b748;