Reposition homepage copy for ADB / DMC / Pacific audience

[tomcounsell]

Plan: docs/plans/homepage_adb_reposition.md

Context: Yudame's single-page marketing site at src/index.html currently positions the company as a generic "AI-forward" product partner. As part of a push for visibility with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and adjacent development-sector buyers, the homepage needs to surface three specific credentials that it currently hides: Thailand HQ in an ADB Developing Member Country (DMC), IP transfer / source-code handover as a core practice, and Pacific-region client experience. Copy should also adopt vocabulary used by ADB task managers.

Problem

Current behavior: Homepage (src/index.html) leads with "Building exceptional products" and describes Yudame through three capability cards — AI Integration, Product Architecture, Rapid Prototyping. Philosophy copy emphasizes "forward-thinking companies," "AI-forward approach," "unprecedented quality at extraordinary speed." There is no mention of Thailand, DMC/Pacific work, IP handover, knowledge transfer, or capacity building. An ADB task manager scanning yuda.me today would see nothing distinguishing Yudame from any US dev shop.

Desired outcome: Homepage still reads as a confident, modern product partner — no aesthetic regression — but surfaces development-sector-relevant credentials through authentic vocabulary swaps and a small number of added copy blocks. Specifically, a development-sector evaluator reading the homepage should see: (1) that Yudame is US-incorporated but HQ'd in Thailand (a DMC), (2) that IP transfer and source-code handover is core practice rather than a negotiable extra, (3) that Yudame has Pacific-region client experience, and (4) vocabulary consistent with how ADB itself talks about digital work.

Definitions

Term	Definition	Reference
ADB	Asian Development Bank — funds digital projects across member countries; buyers/evaluators speak a specific vocabulary.	adb.org
DMC	Developing Member Country — ADB designation. Thailand is a DMC; a US-incorporated firm HQ'd in a DMC with Pacific experience is a distinctive profile.	ADB countries
IP transfer	Practice of handing over source code, documentation, and operational knowledge to the client at project end — explicitly no vendor lock-in.	—
Capacity building	Development-sector term for work that leaves the client organization stronger post-engagement, not just with a deliverable.	—

Prior Context

Related work in flight:

• ADB 2026 positioning research (separate issue) — produces docs/research/adb-2026-positioning.md with vocabulary cheat-sheet and theme recommendations. This issue consumes that brief.
• Case studies surface (separate issue) — new section/page with development-outcomes framing.
• Security & compliance page (separate issue) — new /security page for due diligence.
• Pacific telecom practice page (separate issue) — new page establishing practice-area presence.

Solution Sketch

Work is concentrated in src/index.html. Scope is copy-focused; current layout (Hero → Philosophy → Capabilities → Work Links → Team → Footer) absorbs the repositioning without structural rework.

• Capability cards — rewrite the three cards or swap one out so at least one explicitly references IP transfer / knowledge handover, and the set collectively reads as development-partner capabilities rather than pure tech-stack framing.
• Philosophy section — weave in 3–5 terms from the ADB vocabulary cheat-sheet authentically; surface the Thailand HQ / ADB-DMC status and Pacific client experience in one concise block.
• Hero — no aesthetic changes. Optionally adjust sub-copy if the planner finds a clean way to reinforce the DMC/Pacific narrative without crowding the minimal layout.
• Footer — add links to the new pages (case studies, security, Pacific practice) when those issues ship; this issue may add placeholder links or defer.
• Design file — docs/designs/homepage.pen may need mirroring updates (Pencil MCP tools only; never edit .pen files with Read/Edit/Write).

Open question for /do-plan: The current homepage is intentionally minimal (single-page; QuickBooks page was removed in favor of single-page collapse). Should the Thailand/Pacific credentials live in the philosophy section, the hero subtext, or a new small "where we work" strip? Pick the option that best preserves the minimal aesthetic.

Recon Summary

Confirmed:

• Current site is single-page; src/index.html is the only page with user-facing copy.
• No prior ADB/DMC/Pacific/IP-transfer language exists in git history (searched src/ and docs/plans/).
• Pencil design system is active (docs/designs/homepage.pen, pencil-design-system.pen); design-file edits must use Pencil MCP tools.

Revised:

• Scope is copy-only within the current homepage layout — no new pages in this issue. New surfaces are scoped to sibling issues.

Pre-requisites:

• Benefits from (does not strictly block on) the ADB 2026 research brief for a vocabulary source of truth. Plan stage can start without it but should not ship copy without it.

Dropped:

• Wholesale hero or aesthetic overhaul — out of scope. This is a repositioning of copy, not a redesign.

Acceptance Criteria

• Homepage copy uses at least 5 terms drawn from the ADB 2026 vocabulary cheat-sheet
• Thailand HQ + "US-incorporated, HQ'd in ADB DMC" framing is visible on the homepage without clicking (above the footer)
• IP transfer / source-code handover is stated explicitly as a Yudame practice (not merely implied by "partnership")
• At least one capability card or philosophy line signals development-sector work (capacity building, knowledge transfer, financial inclusion, or similar) authentically
• Visual aesthetic preserved: no new color accents, no new font, no new hero layout
• npm run dev renders cleanly on desktop and mobile viewports
• If docs/designs/homepage.pen is updated, all edits use Pencil MCP tools

Downstream

This issue feeds into /do-plan, which will produce a plan document at docs/plans/{slug}.md. Constraints the planner should carry:

• No new external JS dependencies.
• All styling via existing approach (Tailwind utilities / inline <style> block); no new styling frameworks.
• Design-file edits (.pen) only via Pencil MCP tools.

[tomcounsell]

Related issues in this ADB-visibility workstream:

• Research ADB 2026 digital priorities and produce positioning brief #5 — ADB 2026 research brief (upstream input; this issue consumes the vocabulary cheat-sheet)
• Add development-outcomes case studies surface #7 — Case studies surface (linked from homepage)
• Add security & compliance page for vendor due diligence #8 — Security & compliance page (linked from homepage footer)
• Add Pacific telecom practice page (placeholder for post-launch case study) #9 — Pacific telecom practice page (linked from homepage)