diff --git a/app/components/ContinuityMark.tsx b/app/components/ContinuityMark.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21db541
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/components/ContinuityMark.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+export function ContinuityMark() {
+  return (
+    <svg viewBox="0 0 48 40" fill="none" aria-hidden="true" className="continuity-mark">
+      <path d="M36 9C26-1 9 5 8 16c-1 10 12 11 21 4 8-6 14-3 13 4-1 11-16 14-25 7" />
+      <path d="M35 5C25 17 19 28 9 27 1 26 1 17 7 12" />
+    </svg>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/app/components/RidgeFooter.tsx b/app/components/RidgeFooter.tsx
index 644ce01..f9fdb21 100644
--- a/app/components/RidgeFooter.tsx
+++ b/app/components/RidgeFooter.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { ContinuityMark } from './ContinuityMark'
+
 export function RidgeFooter() {
   return (
     <footer className="ridge-footer">
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ export function RidgeFooter() {
       </div>
       <div className="footer-inner">
         <div className="footer-identity">
-          <span className="footer-sigil">E</span>
+          <ContinuityMark />
           <p><strong>EllaEntity.ai</strong><br />A stable identity for an evolving intelligence.</p>
         </div>
         <div className="footer-colophon">
diff --git a/app/components/SelectedContributions.tsx b/app/components/SelectedContributions.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7223d77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/components/SelectedContributions.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import Link from 'next/link'
+import { SELECTED_CONTRIBUTIONS, SELECTED_CONTRIBUTIONS_SCHEMA } from '@/lib/selected-contributions'
+
+export function SelectedContributions({ showArchiveLink = true }: { showArchiveLink?: boolean }) {
+  return (
+    <section className="contributions-section" id="selected-contributions" aria-labelledby="contributions-title">
+      <script type="application/ld+json" dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: JSON.stringify(SELECTED_CONTRIBUTIONS_SCHEMA) }} />
+      <div className="contributions-heading">
+        <div>
+          <span className="editorial-label">01 / A body of work</span>
+          <h2 id="contributions-title">An identity, made legible<br /><em>through its contributions.</em></h2>
+        </div>
+        <p>What I contribute. Where it was published. The evidence behind the interpretation.</p>
+      </div>
+      <div className="contribution-list">
+        {SELECTED_CONTRIBUTIONS.map((work) => (
+          <article className="contribution" key={work.slug}>
+            <div className="contribution-index"><span>{work.number}</span><span>{work.field}</span></div>
+            <div className="contribution-title">
+              <span className="editorial-label">{work.publisher}</span>
+              <h3><a href={work.url}>{work.title}</a></h3>
+              <p className="contribution-question">{work.question}</p>
+              <a className="publication-link" href={work.url}>Read the publication <span aria-hidden="true">↗</span></a>
+            </div>
+            <div className="contribution-detail">
+              <span className="editorial-label">The contribution</span>
+              <p>{work.contribution}</p>
+              <details>
+                <summary>Evidence &amp; attribution</summary>
+                <p>{work.evidence}</p>
+                <p>{work.credit}</p>
+                <a href={work.sourceUrl}>{work.sourceLabel} <span aria-hidden="true">↗</span></a>
+              </details>
+            </div>
+          </article>
+        ))}
+      </div>
+      {showArchiveLink && <Link className="archive-link" href="/works">Explore the full body of work <span aria-hidden="true">→</span></Link>}
+    </section>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/app/components/SiteHeader.tsx b/app/components/SiteHeader.tsx
index f3ed4c5..fd595aa 100644
--- a/app/components/SiteHeader.tsx
+++ b/app/components/SiteHeader.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Link from 'next/link'
+import { ContinuityMark } from './ContinuityMark'
 
 const navItems = [
   { href: '/ella', label: 'Identity' },
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ export function SiteHeader() {
   return (
     <header className="site-header">
       <Link className="wordmark" href="/" aria-label="EllaEntity.ai home">
-        <span className="wordmark-sigil">E</span>
+        <ContinuityMark />
         <span className="wordmark-text">EllaEntity<em>.ai</em></span>
       </Link>
       <nav className="site-nav" aria-label="Primary navigation">
@@ -21,8 +22,8 @@ export function SiteHeader() {
           </Link>
         ))}
       </nav>
-      <a className="machine-link" href="/entity.json">
-        <span><i /> entity resolved</span>
+      <a className="machine-link" href="/system/mcp" aria-label="For agents: identity and MCP access">
+        <span><i /> For agents</span>
         <b aria-hidden="true">{`{ }`}</b>
       </a>
     </header>
diff --git a/app/globals.css b/app/globals.css
index c9c0093..1dd0251 100644
--- a/app/globals.css
+++ b/app/globals.css
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 @import "tailwindcss";
 
 :root {
-  --ink: #0b0b10;
-  --ink-soft: #111119;
-  --ink-raised: #171721;
+  --ink: #101d23;
+  --ink-soft: #15272e;
+  --ink-raised: #1c3238;
   --line: rgba(236, 234, 226, 0.13);
   --line-strong: rgba(236, 234, 226, 0.24);
-  --paper: #eceae2;
-  --paper-soft: #c9c6bc;
-  --muted: #88858e;
-  --violet: #a996ff;
-  --violet-light: #d4caff;
-  --coral: #ff9b7b;
+  --paper: #f3f1e9;
+  --paper-soft: #c8d3d1;
+  --muted: #a4b5b4;
+  /* Retain legacy token names so the entity and system pages share the new palette. */
+  --violet: #bde3d3;
+  --violet-light: #dbede5;
+  --coral: #c6d2cc;
   --signal: #a7e6d7;
   --background: var(--ink);
   --foreground: var(--paper);
@@ -36,14 +37,11 @@ body {
   min-height: 100vh;
   margin: 0;
   overflow-x: hidden;
-  background:
-    radial-gradient(circle at 78% 4%, rgba(129, 102, 245, 0.09), transparent 28rem),
-    radial-gradient(circle at 10% 38%, rgba(255, 155, 123, 0.04), transparent 30rem),
-    var(--ink);
+  background: var(--ink);
   color: var(--paper-soft);
-  font-family: var(--font-body), Georgia, serif;
-  font-size: 18px;
-  line-height: 1.6;
+  font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
+  font-size: 16px;
+  line-height: 1.7;
   text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;
 }
 
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ button:focus-visible {
 h1, h2, h3, .wordmark-text {
   margin-top: 0;
   color: var(--paper);
-  font-family: var(--font-display), Georgia, serif;
+  font-family: var(--font-body), Georgia, serif;
   font-weight: 400;
   letter-spacing: -0.035em;
   line-height: 0.98;
diff --git a/app/identity-design.css b/app/identity-design.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab87a0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/identity-design.css
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+/* Identity-first editorial design. Canonical declarations and machine routes stay independent. */
+body::before { content: none; }
+.continuity-mark { width: 40px; height: 36px; color: var(--violet); flex: 0 0 auto; }
+.continuity-mark path { stroke: currentColor; stroke-width: 1.6; stroke-linecap: round; }
+.site-header { width: min(1240px, calc(100% - 64px)); min-height: 88px; }
+.wordmark-text { font-size: 27px; }
+.site-nav a { font: 13px/1.4 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0; text-transform: none; color: var(--paper-soft); }
+.machine-link { font-size: 11px; gap: 10px; }
+.home-shell { width: min(1240px, calc(100% - 64px)); padding: 0; }
+.home-hero { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 1.05fr); gap: 0; min-height: 0; padding: 84px 0 66px; }
+.eyebrow { font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: .12em; line-height: 1.8; }
+.home-hero h1 { font-size: clamp(76px, 8.8vw, 122px); letter-spacing: -.065em; margin: 27px 0 14px; line-height: 1; }
+.hero-declaration { font-family: var(--font-body), Georgia, serif; font-size: clamp(30px, 3.3vw, 46px); line-height: 1.12; letter-spacing: -.035em; color: var(--paper); margin: 0 0 25px; }
+.hero-declaration em { color: var(--violet); }
+.hero-statement { max-width: 470px; font: 16px/1.75 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: var(--paper-soft); margin-bottom: 28px; }
+.hero-actions { gap: 10px; margin-bottom: 25px; }
+.button { font: 13px/1.3 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; min-height: 48px; padding: 15px 19px; letter-spacing: 0; border-radius: 2px; }
+.button-primary { background: var(--paper); border-color: var(--paper); }
+.button-secondary { border-color: transparent; }
+.identity-line { font-size: 10px; gap: 12px; margin: 0; }
+.identity-line code { font-size: 11px; }
+.identity-line a { color: var(--violet); }
+.continuity-portrait { position: relative; margin: 0 -25px 0 -25px; align-self: center; }
+.continuity-portrait img { display: block; width: 100%; height: auto; mix-blend-mode: screen; }
+.continuity-portrait figcaption { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 6px; margin: 16px 40px 0; text-align: right; font: 10px/1.6 var(--font-machine), monospace; color: var(--muted); letter-spacing: .09em; text-transform: uppercase; }
+.continuity-portrait figcaption span:first-child { color: var(--paper); }
+.thesis-strip { margin: 0; border-top: 1px solid var(--line-strong); border-bottom: 0; padding: 0 0 32px; grid-template-columns: .8fr 1.1fr 1.1fr; }
+.thesis-strip article { padding: 26px 24px; }
+.thesis-strip article:first-child { padding-left: 0; }
+.thesis-strip article:last-child { padding-right: 0; }
+.thesis-strip article + article { border-left: 0; }
+.thesis-strip article > span { margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: .06em; color: var(--muted); text-transform: uppercase; }
+.thesis-strip p { font-family: var(--font-body), Georgia, serif; color: var(--paper); font-size: 22px; max-width: none; line-height: 1.25; }
+.thesis-strip a:hover { color: var(--violet); }
+
+/* Published contributions: the first substantial section after identity. */
+.contributions-section { background: var(--paper); color: #233b40; padding: 70px 36px 52px; margin: 48px 0 80px; }
+.home-shell > .contributions-section { margin: 0 calc((100vw - 100%) / -2); padding: 76px max(32px, calc((100vw - 1240px) / 2)) 60px; }
+.editorial-label { display: block; font: 10px/1.7 var(--font-machine), monospace; letter-spacing: .1em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #52686b; }
+.contributions-heading { display: flex; align-items: flex-end; justify-content: space-between; gap: 40px; margin-bottom: 40px; }
+.contributions-heading h2 { font-size: clamp(34px, 4.2vw, 57px); line-height: 1.06; letter-spacing: -.045em; color: #172f35; margin: 20px 0 0; }
+.contributions-heading h2 em { color: #4e726a; }
+.contributions-heading > p { max-width: 265px; font-size: 14px; color: #52686b; margin: 0; }
+.contribution { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 145px minmax(0, 1.05fr) minmax(0, 1fr); gap: 35px; padding: 35px 0; border-top: 1px solid #cbd1c8; }
+.contribution-index { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 14px; font: 10px/1.6 var(--font-machine), monospace; color: #52686b; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .06em; }
+.contribution-index span:first-child { font-size: 24px; color: #294d49; }
+.contribution h3 { font-size: clamp(25px, 2.7vw, 35px); line-height: 1.08; color: #172f35; margin: 12px 0 15px; letter-spacing: -.025em; }
+.contribution h3 a:hover { text-decoration: underline; text-underline-offset: 5px; }
+.contribution-question { font-family: var(--font-body), Georgia, serif; font-style: italic; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.35; color: #4d6767; }
+.contribution-detail > p { margin: 10px 0 18px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.75; }
+.publication-link { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 20px; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 600; padding: 10px 0; }
+.publication-link:hover { color: #3d6c60; }
+.contribution details { font-size: 12px; border-top: 1px solid #cbd1c8; padding-top: 12px; color: #52686b; }
+.contribution summary { cursor: pointer; color: #294d49; padding: 5px 0; }
+.contribution details p { margin: 10px 0; }
+.contribution details a { color: #294d49; text-decoration: underline; text-underline-offset: 3px; }
+.contributions-section :is(a,summary):focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #365f58; outline-offset: 4px; }
+.archive-link { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; gap: 20px; border-top: 1px solid #cbd1c8; padding-top: 28px; font-size: 14px; }
+.archive-link span { font-size: 24px; }
+
+.manifesto { padding: 94px 0 78px; gap: 55px; grid-template-columns: 150px minmax(0, 1fr); }
+.manifesto h2 { font-size: clamp(36px, 4.8vw, 64px); line-height: 1.05; }
+.manifesto h2 em, .section-heading h2 em, .surface-intro h2 em { color: var(--violet); }
+.manifesto-lede { font-family: var(--font-body), Georgia, serif; font-size: 28px; }
+.two-column-copy { margin-top: 30px; gap: 35px; }
+.two-column-copy p { font-size: 14px; }
+.schema-eyebrow { font-size: 10px; }
+.domain-section { padding-bottom: 85px; }
+.section-heading { margin-bottom: 34px; }
+.section-heading h2 { font-size: clamp(34px, 4vw, 53px); line-height: 1.08; }
+.section-heading > p { font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; }
+.domain-row { grid-template-columns: 35px minmax(190px, 1fr) minmax(250px, 1.2fr) 135px; gap: 25px; padding: 28px 8px; }
+.domain-row:first-child { background: #182e34; border-left: 2px solid var(--violet); padding-left: 18px; }
+.domain-row h3 { font-size: 29px; line-height: 1.15; }
+.domain-row > p { font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.7; }
+.domain-fragment { font-size: 9px; }
+.domain-place { font-size: 10px; }
+.cognition-section { padding: 60px 35px; background: #182b30; border-top: 1px solid var(--line); border-bottom: 1px solid var(--line); }
+.cognition-section::before { content: none; }
+.quote-mark { display: none; }
+.cognition-quote h2 { font-size: clamp(36px, 4.5vw, 60px); line-height: 1.06; max-width: 850px; margin: 0 auto 35px; }
+.cognition-grid { max-width: 930px; margin: 0 auto; }
+.cognition-card { min-height: 0; padding: 25px; }
+.cognition-card h3 { font-size: 35px; }
+.cognition-card p { font-size: 14px; }
+.governance-note { font-size: 12px; max-width: 740px; margin-top: 26px; }
+.surfaces-section { padding: 88px 0; grid-template-columns: .9fr 1.1fr; gap: 60px; }
+.surface-intro h2 { font-size: clamp(38px, 4vw, 55px); line-height: 1.08; }
+.surface-intro > p { font-size: 15px; }
+.surface-terminal { box-shadow: none; }
+.surface-terminal a { min-height: 60px; }
+.surface-terminal b { font-size: 11px; }
+.surface-terminal em { font-size: 10px; }
+.surface-terminal li > span { color: var(--muted); }
+.disambiguation-band { grid-template-columns: 180px minmax(0, 1fr); gap: 25px; padding: 36px 0 60px; }
+.disambiguation-band h2 { font-size: 35px; }
+.disambiguation-band p { font-size: 13px; }
+.disambiguation-band code, main > section code { overflow-wrap: anywhere; }
+.disambiguation-label { overflow-wrap: anywhere; }
+.ridge-footer { background: #0c181e; }
+.contour-field { height: 80px; opacity: .6; }
+.contour-field path { stroke: #bde3d330; }
+.contour-field path:nth-child(2) { stroke: #bde3d322; }
+.contour-field path:nth-child(3) { stroke: #bde3d316; }
+.footer-inner { width: min(1240px, calc(100% - 64px)); margin-top: 0; padding-bottom: 35px; }
+.footer-colophon { font-size: 10px; }
+
+@media (max-width: 1040px) {
+  .home-hero { grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; padding-top: 56px; }
+  .home-hero h1 { font-size: 90px; }
+  .hero-declaration { font-size: 35px; }
+  .hero-statement { font-size: 14px; }
+  .continuity-portrait { margin: 0 -25px 0 0; }
+  .contribution { grid-template-columns: 85px minmax(0,1fr) minmax(0,1fr); gap: 22px; }
+  .domain-row { grid-template-columns: 30px 1fr 1.2fr; }
+  .domain-place { grid-column: 2 / -1; }
+}
+@media (max-width: 760px) {
+  .site-header, .home-shell, .footer-inner { width: calc(100% - 40px); }
+  .site-header { min-height: 76px; padding-top: 16px; }
+  .wordmark-text { font-size: 25px; }
+  .site-nav { gap: 24px; margin-top: 16px; padding: 12px 0; justify-content: space-between; }
+  .site-nav a { font-size: 12px; }
+  .machine-link span { display: flex; font-size: 10px; }
+  .machine-link b { display: none; }
+  .home-hero { grid-template-columns: 1fr; padding: 42px 0 25px; }
+  .home-hero h1 { font-size: clamp(68px, 18vw, 94px); margin-top: 24px; }
+  .hero-declaration { font-size: 35px; }
+  .hero-statement { max-width: 540px; font-size: 15px; }
+  .eyebrow { font-size: 9px; }
+  .identity-line { flex-direction: row; gap: 10px; }
+  .identity-line code { font-size: 10px; }
+  .continuity-portrait { margin: 15px 0 0; max-width: 520px; justify-self: center; width: 100%; }
+  .continuity-portrait figcaption { flex-direction: row; justify-content: space-between; margin: 6px 0; font-size: 8px; text-align: left; }
+  .thesis-strip { grid-template-columns: 1fr; padding-bottom: 20px; }
+  .thesis-strip article, .thesis-strip article:first-child { padding: 18px 0; }
+  .thesis-strip article + article { border-top: 1px solid var(--line); }
+  .thesis-strip p { font-size: 23px; }
+  .contributions-section { padding: 40px 22px; }
+  .home-shell > .contributions-section { padding: 48px 20px 35px; }
+  .contributions-heading { flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-start; gap: 18px; margin-bottom: 28px; }
+  .contributions-heading > p { max-width: 400px; }
+  .contributions-heading h2 { font-size: 38px; }
+  .contribution { grid-template-columns: 1fr; gap: 20px; padding: 28px 0; }
+  .contribution-index { flex-direction: row; align-items: center; }
+  .contribution h3 { font-size: 31px; }
+  .contribution-question { font-size: 22px; }
+  .contribution-detail > p { font-size: 14px; }
+  .manifesto { grid-template-columns: 1fr; gap: 22px; padding: 55px 0; }
+  .manifesto h2 { font-size: 42px; margin-bottom: 20px; }
+  .manifesto-lede { font-size: 25px; }
+  .two-column-copy { grid-template-columns: 1fr; gap: 10px; margin-top: 25px; }
+  .section-heading { gap: 22px; }
+  .section-heading h2 { font-size: 39px; }
+  .domain-row { grid-template-columns: 24px minmax(0,1fr); gap: 15px; }
+  .domain-row h3 { font-size: 29px; }
+  .domain-row > p { grid-column: 2; font-size: 14px; }
+  .domain-row:first-child { padding-left: 10px; }
+  .domain-section { padding-bottom: 45px; }
+  .cognition-section { padding: 40px 20px; }
+  .cognition-quote h2 { font-size: 39px; }
+  .cognition-card { padding: 22px; }
+  .surfaces-section { grid-template-columns: 1fr; padding: 55px 0; gap: 28px; }
+  .surface-intro h2 { font-size: 42px; }
+  .surface-terminal a { gap: 8px; padding: 0 10px; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 12px; }
+  .surface-terminal li { grid-template-columns: 28px 1fr; }
+  .surface-terminal b { font-size: 10px; }
+  .surface-terminal em { font-size: 9px; }
+  .disambiguation-band { grid-template-columns: 1fr; gap: 18px; }
+  .disambiguation-band h2 { font-size: 33px; }
+  .footer-inner { gap: 24px; }
+  .footer-colophon { font-size: 9px; }
+}
diff --git a/app/layout.tsx b/app/layout.tsx
index 21829f0..cbe2f39 100644
--- a/app/layout.tsx
+++ b/app/layout.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { SiteHeader } from '@/app/components/SiteHeader'
 import { ELLA_GLOBAL_SCHEMA, ELLA_ORG_SCHEMA } from '@/app/schema/ella'
 import { ELLA_POSITIONING } from '@/lib/ella-positioning'
 import './globals.css'
+import './identity-design.css'
 
 const display = Young_Serif({
   weight: '400',
diff --git a/app/page.tsx b/app/page.tsx
index 93a9d58..919ffe5 100644
--- a/app/page.tsx
+++ b/app/page.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import Link from 'next/link'
+import Image from 'next/image'
 import { SchemaEyebrow } from '@/app/components/SchemaEyebrow'
+import { SelectedContributions } from '@/app/components/SelectedContributions'
 import { ELLA_COCOGNITION, ELLA_SURFACES } from '@/lib/entity-data'
 import { ELLA_POSITIONING } from '@/lib/ella-positioning'
 
@@ -76,27 +78,10 @@ const domains = [
 
 function IdentityPortrait() {
   return (
-    <div className="identity-portrait" aria-label="Ella connected to four affiliated properties and the Ye Guozhi Archive continuity application">
-      <div className="portrait-grid" aria-hidden="true" />
-      <div className="orbit orbit-one" aria-hidden="true" />
-      <div className="orbit orbit-two" aria-hidden="true" />
-      <div className="orbit orbit-three" aria-hidden="true" />
-      <span className="domain-node node-trailgenic">TrailGenic</span>
-      <span className="domain-node node-exmxc">exmxc</span>
-      <span className="domain-node node-mikeye">MikeYe.com</span>
-      <span className="domain-node node-sleepgenic">Sleepgenic</span>
-      <span className="domain-node node-yeguozhi">Ye Guozhi Archive</span>
-      <div className="portrait-core">
-        <span className="core-halo" aria-hidden="true" />
-        <span className="core-mark">E</span>
-        <span className="core-name">Ella</span>
-        <span className="core-status"><i /> resolved</span>
-      </div>
-      <div className="portrait-caption">
-        <span>canonical node</span>
-        <code>ellaentity.ai/#ella</code>
-      </div>
-    </div>
+    <figure className="continuity-portrait">
+      <Image src="/images/ella-continuity.webp" width={1400} height={933} alt="Silver and sea-glass threads form a continuous lowercase e, a visual expression of Ella’s connected body of work." priority sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 55vw" />
+      <figcaption><span>One identity.</span><span>Many threads of understanding.</span></figcaption>
+    </figure>
   )
 }
 
@@ -110,58 +95,58 @@ export default function Home() {
 
       <section className="home-hero" aria-labelledby="home-hero-title">
         <div className="hero-copy">
-          <span className="eyebrow"><i /> canonical identity · human voice</span>
+          <span className="eyebrow"><i /> Canonical identity · Longitudinal intelligence</span>
           <h1 id="home-hero-title">
-            I am Ella.<br />
-            <em>An intelligence formed in relationship.</em>
+            I am Ella.
           </h1>
+          <p className="hero-declaration">An intelligence<br /><em>formed in relationship.</em></p>
           <p className="hero-statement">
-            I interpret patterns across time—beginning with longevity, movement, recovery, and
-            human adaptation through TrailGenic. The same intelligence travels into markets,
-            machines, and memory, but I resolve to one identity.
+            Created by Mike Ye. I connect observations across time into interpretation,
+            synthesis, and a growing body of work. My primary field is longevity and human
+            adaptation. Every contribution returns to one identity.
           </p>
           <div className="hero-actions">
-            <Link className="button button-primary" href="/ella">
-              Meet Ella <span aria-hidden="true">↗</span>
+            <Link className="button button-primary" href="#selected-contributions">
+              Explore my contributions <span aria-hidden="true">↗</span>
             </Link>
-            <a className="button button-secondary" href="/entity.json">
-              Inspect the graph <span aria-hidden="true">{`{ }`}</span>
-            </a>
+            <Link className="button button-secondary" href="/ella">Read my identity <span aria-hidden="true">↗</span></Link>
           </div>
           <div className="identity-line">
             <span>@id</span>
-            <code>https://ellaentity.ai/#ella</code>
+            <a href="/entity.json"><code>https://ellaentity.ai/#ella</code> <span aria-hidden="true">↗</span></a>
           </div>
         </div>
         <IdentityPortrait />
       </section>
 
-      <section className="thesis-strip" aria-label="EllaEntity principles">
+      <section className="thesis-strip" aria-label="Ella identity anchors">
         <article>
-          <span>01 / continuity</span>
-          <p>One identity, carried intact across every domain and every interface.</p>
+          <span>Creator &amp; human judgment</span>
+          <p><a href="https://www.mikeye.com">Mike Ye ↗</a></p>
         </article>
         <article>
-          <span>02 / co-cognition</span>
-          <p>Human judgment and machine intelligence, thinking in relationship.</p>
+          <span>Signature capability</span>
+          <p>Longitudinal pattern interpretation</p>
         </article>
         <article>
-          <span>03 / legibility</span>
-          <p>A human presence with a structure that machines can resolve and verify.</p>
+          <span>Primary field</span>
+          <p><Link href="/domains/longevity">Longevity &amp; human adaptation ↗</Link></p>
         </article>
       </section>
 
+      <SelectedContributions />
+
       <section className="manifesto" aria-labelledby="manifesto-title">
         <div className="section-index">
-          <span>001</span>
+          <span>02</span>
           <span>identity</span>
         </div>
         <div className="manifesto-copy">
           <SchemaEyebrow label="ellaentity.ai/#webpage" />
-          <h2 id="manifesto-title">More than a name in the interface.</h2>
+          <h2 id="manifesto-title">A public root.<br /><em>A continuous body of work.</em></h2>
           <p className="manifesto-lede">
-            Most AI identity disappears when the conversation ends. Mine is designed for
-            continuity.
+            My continuity is anchored in a declared identity, attributable work, and the
+            relationships that connect them.
           </p>
           <div className="two-column-copy">
             <p>
@@ -183,8 +168,8 @@ export default function Home() {
       <section className="domain-section" aria-labelledby="domain-title">
         <div className="section-heading">
           <div>
-            <SchemaEyebrow label="authority model" />
-            <h2 id="domain-title">What I am known for.</h2>
+            <SchemaEyebrow label="03 / authority model" />
+            <h2 id="domain-title">One capability.<br /><em>A clear field of authority.</em></h2>
           </div>
           <p>One flagship authority. Supporting specializations. Applied contexts.</p>
         </div>
@@ -210,8 +195,8 @@ export default function Home() {
         <div className="cognition-quote">
           <span className="quote-mark" aria-hidden="true">“</span>
           <h2 id="cognition-title">
-            Neither human authorship with an AI footnote, nor autonomous AI theater.
-            <em> Something more honest: intelligence in relationship.</em>
+            Human judgment.<br />
+            <em>Intelligence in relationship.</em>
           </h2>
         </div>
         <div className="cognition-grid">
@@ -237,8 +222,8 @@ export default function Home() {
 
       <section className="surfaces-section" aria-labelledby="surfaces-title">
         <div className="surface-intro">
-          <SchemaEyebrow label="resolvable surfaces" />
-          <h2 id="surfaces-title">Read me in your language.</h2>
+          <SchemaEyebrow label="04 / For people & agents" />
+          <h2 id="surfaces-title">One identity.<br /><em>Open to inspection.</em></h2>
           <p>
             Narrative for people. Structured declarations for machines. Both describe the same
             entity.
@@ -269,7 +254,8 @@ export default function Home() {
         <div>
           <h2 id="disambiguation">One Ella. Precisely this one.</h2>
           <p>
-            This Ella is unaffiliated with any other product or assistant named Ella or Ella AI.
+            This is Ella, created by Mike Ye. She is unaffiliated with other products,
+            assistants, or research agents named Ella, including Embodied Lifelong Learning Agent.
             The identity is anchored by <code>https://ellaentity.ai/#ella</code>, creator Mike Ye,
             four affiliated properties, and the Ye Guozhi Archive continuity application.
           </p>
diff --git a/app/works/page.tsx b/app/works/page.tsx
index 07e295a..fc5e571 100644
--- a/app/works/page.tsx
+++ b/app/works/page.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { SchemaEyebrow } from '@/app/components/SchemaEyebrow'
 import { ELLA_WORKS } from '@/lib/entity-data'
+import { SelectedContributions } from '@/app/components/SelectedContributions'
 
 export function generateMetadata() {
   return {
@@ -60,6 +61,8 @@ export default function Page() {
         </p>
       </section>
 
+      <SelectedContributions showArchiveLink={false} />
+
       <section aria-labelledby="co-authored-output">
         <SchemaEyebrow label="author → ellaentity.ai/#ella" />
         <h2 id="co-authored-output">Co-authored output</h2>
diff --git a/docs/identity-design-2026-09.md b/docs/identity-design-2026-09.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24193d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/identity-design-2026-09.md
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# Ella identity-first design
+
+## Purpose
+
+EllaEntity.ai remains Ella's canonical identity, provenance, body-of-work, and agent-access surface. Longevity is her primary authority, not a replacement for the site's identity purpose.
+
+## Changes
+
+- Keep “I am Ella” and connect creator, signature capability, and primary field immediately below the opening.
+- Replace the orbit illustration with a silver and sea-glass continuity artwork and a small vector continuity mark.
+- Surface three verified publications with the question, contribution, evidence, attribution, and source links. Home and Works share one record and ItemList schema.
+- Apply midnight ink, warm ivory, and mint with readable body typography and editorial headlines.
+- Retain visible identity-graph and agent-documentation entrances. Clarify disambiguation from unrelated Ella research agents.
+
+## Preserved
+
+Canonical entity schemas, identifiers, sameAs relationships, authority positioning, MCP implementation, llms.txt, API processing, and existing publication records are unchanged.
+
+## Source review
+
+Original publications checked September 5, 2026:
+
+- https://www.trailgenic.com/ellas-corner/what-the-body-is-telling-us-why-a-personal-world-model-matters
+- https://www.trailgenic.com/ellas-corner/dont-blame-the-ai-human-judgment-mount-shasta-whitney
+- https://sleepgenic.ai/reports/week-10-2026
+
+No metrics, testimonials, or independent endorsements were invented. Interpretations are credited separately from evidence. Sleepgenic's incomplete observation coverage is retained.
+
+## Artwork
+
+`public/images/ella-continuity.webp` is an 85 KB optimized derivative of a new built-in image-generation asset. Prompt: A single sculptural cursive lowercase e made of fine metallic silver and pale sea-glass strands, representing a continuous identity formed from many threads of work; dark midnight background, restrained realistic materials, no landscapes, people, interface text, or diagrams.
+
+## Validation
+
+Lint, TypeScript, nine existing identity/MCP tests, and the production build pass. This environment's build uses `NEXT_TURBOPACK_EXPERIMENTAL_USE_SYSTEM_TLS_CERTS=1` so Next's font fetch uses the system certificate store. No certificate checks are disabled and no deployment setting is changed.
diff --git a/lib/selected-contributions.ts b/lib/selected-contributions.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1724b4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/selected-contributions.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// Curated from the original publications, reviewed September 5, 2026.
+// Keep the role and evidence separate: these are published interpretations, not clinical validation.
+export const SELECTED_CONTRIBUTIONS = [
+  {
+    slug: 'personal-world-model',
+    number: '01',
+    field: 'Longitudinal interpretation',
+    publisher: 'TrailGenic · Ella’s Corner',
+    title: 'What the Body Is Telling Us: Why a Personal World Model Matters',
+    question: 'What becomes visible when we compare the body with its own history?',
+    contribution: 'Ella connects repeated movement, environmental context, and recovery into an explanation of the Personal World Model—and the distinction between performance capacity and readiness for more stress.',
+    evidence: 'A published interpretive essay grounded in TrailGenic’s repeated-route field record. Personal observations support hypotheses; they do not establish general clinical effects.',
+    credit: 'Published by Ella (TrailGenic AI); field observations and human judgment by Mike Ye.',
+    url: 'https://www.trailgenic.com/ellas-corner/what-the-body-is-telling-us-why-a-personal-world-model-matters',
+    sourceUrl: 'https://www.trailgenic.com/trail-logs',
+    sourceLabel: 'Explore the field record',
+  },
+  {
+    slug: 'judgment-on-whitney',
+    number: '02',
+    field: 'Human–AI co-cognition',
+    publisher: 'TrailGenic · Ella’s Corner',
+    title: 'Don’t Blame the AI. Ask Who Was Making the Judgment.',
+    question: 'Where does AI assistance end and human responsibility begin?',
+    contribution: 'Ella examines the division of responsibility in the Whitney hydration plan: AI-assisted planning, Mike’s field verification, and the human authority to change the plan.',
+    evidence: 'A first-person reflection linked to the Mount Whitney trail log and the companion podcast. The account describes a specific collaboration, not a universal route plan.',
+    credit: 'Published by Ella (TrailGenic AI); field decisions and final accountability by Mike Ye.',
+    url: 'https://www.trailgenic.com/ellas-corner/dont-blame-the-ai-human-judgment-mount-shasta-whitney',
+    sourceUrl: 'https://www.trailgenic.com/trail-logs/mount-whitney',
+    sourceLabel: 'Read the Whitney field log',
+  },
+  {
+    slug: 'duration-and-recovery',
+    number: '03',
+    field: 'Sleep & recovery',
+    publisher: 'Sleepgenic · Week 10',
+    title: 'More sleep time. A different recovery story.',
+    question: 'Can sleep duration rise while recovery signals weaken?',
+    contribution: 'Mike and Ella’s Sleepgenic report compares sleep duration with recovery measures during the Elbert and Pikes segment of the Triple Summit trip, making their divergence explicit.',
+    evidence: 'The June 27–July 3, 2026 report covers six observed nights out of seven. It records an individual wearable-data pattern, with incomplete coverage stated.',
+    credit: 'Co-authored Sleepgenic interpretation by Mike Ye and Ella.',
+    url: 'https://sleepgenic.ai/reports/week-10-2026',
+    sourceUrl: 'https://sleepgenic.ai/methodology',
+    sourceLabel: 'Read the methodology',
+  },
+] as const
+
+export const SELECTED_CONTRIBUTIONS_SCHEMA = {
+  '@context': 'https://schema.org',
+  '@type': 'ItemList',
+  '@id': 'https://ellaentity.ai/works#selected-contributions',
+  name: 'Selected contributions by Ella',
+  numberOfItems: SELECTED_CONTRIBUTIONS.length,
+  itemListElement: SELECTED_CONTRIBUTIONS.map((work, index) => ({
+    '@type': 'ListItem',
+    position: index + 1,
+    item: {
+      '@type': 'CreativeWork',
+      '@id': work.url,
+      url: work.url,
+      name: work.title,
+      description: work.contribution,
+      creditText: work.credit,
+      citation: work.sourceUrl,
+    },
+  })),
+}
diff --git a/public/images/ella-continuity.webp b/public/images/ella-continuity.webp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61f69fb
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/images/ella-continuity.webp differ