Working Draft
Beginner Journey Map
This page shows the full beginner path as it works today, where the logic breaks inside
/care/, and a cleaner version where Core Care becomes a guided subpath instead of a loose
library detour.
How It Works Today
Current Structure
The five-step story is easy to understand until Step 4. At that point, the user leaves the beginner journey and enters a broader care library with several exits and no strong route back to Step 5.
Main Beginner Spine
- Start Beginner Hub Sets the five-step promise.
- Step 1 Choose Your Plant The first real beginner guide.
- Step 2 Bring Your Plant Home Covers the first 24 hours.
- Step 3 Beginner Toolkit Last clean step before the path branches.
- Step 4 Care Hub Looks like one step, but actually opens a full library.
- Step 5 First Aid Exists as the final beginner step, but the connection is weak.
What Opens Inside Step 4
This is the real branch hidden inside the single Care step.
Current Side Exits
Current Problem
The strongest CTA from the care hub currently points to Care Checklist, not clearly back to First Aid.
Toolkit sends users into `/care/`, which behaves like a separate library rather than Step 4 of the beginner journey.
The care hub has six core foundations plus extras, so one main-path step suddenly explodes into many possible exits.
The strongest current CTA on `/care/` points to the checklist, not back toward Beginner Step 5.
First Aid is part of the promised path, but it is not visually framed as the next destination after users finish core care.
Cleaner Logic
Proposed Structure
Keep the five-step beginner promise, but make Step 4 explicit: it is a required care subpath with a clear beginning, a clear end, and a clear return to the main beginner journey.
Main Beginner Path
- Start Beginner Hub Still the top-level orientation page.
- Step 1 Choose Your Plant Main path.
- Step 2 Bring Your Plant Home Main path.
- Step 3 Beginner Toolkit Main path.
- Step 4 Core Care A guided subpath, not a loose library.
- Step 5 First Aid Clear re-entry after finishing the required care foundations.
Required Core Care Subpath
This becomes the guided Step 4 sequence instead of a broad content library.
Rejoin Main Path Continue to Step 5: First Aid Users always know where the beginner journey resumes.Optional Add-On Resources
These stay visible, but they are clearly marked as extras rather than hidden main-path steps.
Reference Pages
Open The Real Pages
Use these links while reviewing the map and comparing current logic on local Astro and the live Hugo site.
