# Progress Log — Career Constellation Clinical Pathway Overhaul # Branch: ralph/constellation-overhaul # Started: 2026-02-16 ## Codebase Patterns - CareerConstellation.tsx is a D3 force-directed graph rendered in an SVG with React overlay buttons for accessibility - D3 simulation uses forceSimulation with charge, link, x, y, and collide forces - Module-level window.matchMedia reads for prefersReducedMotion and supportsCoarsePointer - DashboardLayout manages constellation state: highlightedNodeId, pinnedNodeId via callbacks - Work experience data in src/data/consultations.ts, skills in src/data/skills.ts, constellation-specific data in src/data/constellation.ts - CSS layout: .pathway-columns is a grid that switches from 1fr (mobile) to minmax(0,1.15fr) minmax(0,1.5fr) at desktop breakpoint - .pathway-graph-sticky has position: sticky; top: 12px; min-height: 100% for the graph column - containerHeight prop drives graph height on desktop; on mobile (viewport < 1024px) uses MOBILE_FALLBACK_HEIGHT (360px) - Use window.innerWidth for breakpoint checks, not container.clientWidth — the SVG container overflows on mobile - Design tokens in index.css :root — use var(--accent), var(--border-light), var(--text-tertiary), etc. - Use the d3-viz skill for all D3 rendering stories - yScale domain reversal automatically flows through all timeline elements (guides, dots, labels, role positions, simulation forces) — no per-element changes needed - Always use CSS custom properties (var(--border), var(--surface), var(--text-tertiary), etc.) for colours in D3 — never hardcode hex values - SVG shadows: use with in , apply to groups via .attr('filter', 'url(#filter-id)'), clear with .attr('filter', null) - Role nodes are already pill-shaped rects (ROLE_WIDTH=104, ROLE_HEIGHT=32, ROLE_RX=16) with orgColor badge styling — check before re-implementing ## 2026-02-16 - US-001 - Reversed yScale domain from [minYear, maxYear] to [maxYear, minYear] so 2025 appears at top - Updated buildScreenReaderDescription() to mention reverse-chronological order - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx - **Learnings for future iterations:** - The yScale is the single source of truth for vertical positioning — reversing its domain is a one-line change that cascades to all D3 elements using it - Year guide lines, year dots, year labels, role initial positions, and simulation forceY all reference yScale — no individual element updates needed - buildScreenReaderDescription() is defined at module level (line ~63), not inside the component --- ## 2026-02-16 - US-002 - Removed fixed DESKTOP_HEIGHT/TABLET_HEIGHT/MOBILE_HEIGHT constants, replaced with MIN_HEIGHT (400) and MOBILE_FALLBACK_HEIGHT (360) - Added containerHeight prop to CareerConstellation — DashboardLayout measures .chronology-stream via ResizeObserver and passes height - getHeight() now takes containerHeight param: on mobile uses fallback, on desktop uses measured height with MIN_HEIGHT floor - Used window.innerWidth for mobile breakpoint detection (container.clientWidth is unreliable due to SVG overflow) - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx, src/components/DashboardLayout.tsx, src/index.css - **Learnings for future iterations:** - The CareerConstellation container div overflows on mobile — its clientWidth reports desktop-sized values even at 375px viewport. Always use window.innerWidth for responsive breakpoint checks in this component. - ResizeObserver on .chronology-stream fires when cards expand/collapse, triggering height update in the graph — this is the key mechanism for dynamic sync. - The dimensions useEffect depends on [containerHeight] so it re-runs when the measured height changes, updating the D3 scales. - CSS grid column ratio was adjusted to minmax(0,1.15fr) minmax(0,1.5fr) to give the graph more horizontal space. --- ## 2026-02-16 - US-003 - Removed radial gradient background, replaced with clean var(--surface) fill - Added 1px solid var(--border-light) border to the container div - Refined timeline vertical rule to 1px stroke using var(--border) colour - Replaced year dots (circles) with horizontal tick marks (6-8px lines extending right from timeline) - Updated year labels fill to var(--text-tertiary) - Made horizontal guide lines subtle: stroke-opacity 0.25, stroke-dasharray '3 4', using var(--border-light) - Removed the entire SVG legend group (replacement HTML legend comes in US-008) - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx - **Learnings for future iterations:** - All colours should use CSS custom property values (var(--border), var(--surface), etc.) rather than hardcoded hex values — the design system tokens are defined in index.css :root - The legend was ~47 lines of D3 code; removing it is a significant net reduction. The HTML replacement in US-008 will be simpler React JSX - Year ticks as horizontal lines are positioned with x1=timelineX, x2=timelineX+width — they extend right from the timeline axis, not centred on it - The container div border + borderRadius + overflow:hidden creates a clean framed look for the SVG without needing an SVG-level border --- ## 2026-02-16 - US-004 - Added SVG filter defs for drop shadows: shadow-sm-filter (subtle, for hover/connected) and shadow-md-filter (stronger, for active/pinned) - Updated applyGraphHighlight to apply shadow filters on role node `` elements during highlight states - Resting state: no filter; connected role: shadow-sm; active/pinned role: shadow-md with stroke-opacity 1 and stroke-width 1.5 - Note: most of US-004 (pill shape, orgColor styling, connector lines, focus rings, collision detection) was already implemented in prior iterations - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx, Ralph/prd.json - **Learnings for future iterations:** - SVG drop shadows use `` with `` — apply to the parent `` group, not the individual shape, for proper rendering - Filter bounds need generous overflow (x/y -20%, width/height 140%+) to avoid clipping the shadow - When clearing a filter, use `.attr('filter', null)` — not empty string - The role node pill rendering (rect with rx/ry, orgColor fill at 0.12, border at 0.4) was built incrementally across US-003 and US-004 — check existing code before implementing to avoid duplication - Skill nodes use SKILL_RADIUS_DEFAULT (7) for resting state and SKILL_RADIUS_ACTIVE (11) for highlighted state — controlled via applyGraphHighlight, not CSS transitions (SVG `r` doesn't transition via CSS) - Skill labels default to opacity 0 and are shown/hidden via D3 transitions in applyGraphHighlight — the old updateSkillLabelVisibility collision-based approach was removed - Link lines use var(--border-light) at opacity 0.08 for resting state — highlighted links use the skill's domain colour from domainColorMap with strength-proportional opacity - Bidirectional highlighting uses two independent state vars in DashboardLayout: highlightedNodeId (timeline→graph) and highlightedRoleId (graph→timeline) - callbacksRef pattern in CareerConstellation prevents stale closures — always add new callbacks there - LastConsultationSubsection is defined inline in DashboardLayout.tsx, not a separate file - Link lines are `` elements (not ``) using quadratic bezier curves — tick handler sets `d` attr, not x1/y1/x2/y2. CSS transitions handle highlight animations on stroke properties - Force simulation parameters: role forceX/Y strength ~1.0, skill forceX/Y ~0.18, charge -120 (role) / -55 (skill), link distance 72, collide iterations 2 - Role homeX uses consistent offset (`timelineX + 80 + ROLE_WIDTH/2`), no jitter — roles align vertically - Skill homeX pushed right of roles: `skillSpaceStart = roleX + ROLE_WIDTH/2 + 40` ensures skills cluster in the right-side space - Boundary clamping accounts for `topPadding`/`bottomPadding` and `skillBottomPadding` (radius + gap + label line height) to prevent label clipping --- ## 2026-02-16 - US-005 - Replaced SKILL_RADIUS (14) with SKILL_RADIUS_DEFAULT (7) and SKILL_RADIUS_ACTIVE (11) - Skill nodes now default to small (r=7), low opacity (0.2), no stroke, hidden labels (opacity 0) - On hover/pin: connected skills grow to r=11, fill-opacity 0.85, labels fade in; unconnected nodes dim to opacity 0.06 - Link lines default to var(--border-light) at opacity 0.08; highlighted links use domain colour with strength-proportional opacity (0.35-0.65) - Removed updateSkillLabelVisibility function — label visibility now fully controlled by applyGraphHighlight - D3 transitions (180ms) used for skill radius and opacity changes, respecting prefers-reduced-motion - Updated collision force and boundary clamping to use SKILL_RADIUS_ACTIVE - Skill labels styled: font-geist-mono, 10px, var(--text-secondary) - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx, Ralph/prd.json - **Learnings for future iterations:** - SVG `r` attribute cannot be animated via CSS transitions — must use D3 `.transition().duration()` for radius changes - The applyGraphHighlight function is the single source of truth for all visual states (resting, highlighted, dimmed) — keep all styling logic there, not split between initial rendering and highlight - D3 transition on a selection that already has a pending transition interrupts it — this is fine for hover interactions where the latest state wins - domainColorMap hex values are needed for D3 attrs (can't use CSS custom properties for computed color values in stroke/fill of highlighted links) --- ## 2026-02-16 - US-006 - Added `onNodeHover?: (id: string | null) => void` prop to CareerConstellation — fires on role node mouseenter/mouseleave and pin/unpin - Added `highlightedRoleId` state in DashboardLayout, wired via `handleNodeHover` callback - WorkExperienceSubsection receives `highlightedRoleId` prop; RoleItem shows subtle teal border + background tint when matched - LastConsultationSubsection receives `highlightedRoleId` prop; outer wrapper shows border/background highlight for consultations[0] - Existing timeline→graph direction (`onNodeHighlight` / `highlightedNodeId`) continues working alongside new reverse direction - Touch/pin: clicking/tapping a role node fires `onNodeHover` with the pinned role ID, keeping timeline card highlighted while pinned - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx, src/components/DashboardLayout.tsx, src/components/WorkExperienceSubsection.tsx - **Learnings for future iterations:** - The bidirectional system uses two separate state variables: `highlightedNodeId` (timeline→graph) and `highlightedRoleId` (graph→timeline) — they coexist independently in DashboardLayout - `callbacksRef` pattern in CareerConstellation avoids stale closure issues — add new callbacks there (e.g., `onNodeHover`) alongside existing ones - For highlight styling on timeline cards, use `border: 1px solid transparent` as default with padding/margin compensation to prevent layout shift when highlighting activates - LastConsultationSubsection is defined inline in DashboardLayout.tsx, not as a separate file — props must be threaded through the local function definition - D3 mouseenter events on SVG `` elements require direct mouse interaction with the SVG, not the React button overlay layer --- ## 2026-02-16 - US-007 - Replaced straight `` elements with curved `` elements for link lines between roles and skills - Link paths use quadratic bezier curves: `M sx,sy Q cx,sy tx,ty` where cx is the horizontal midpoint — creating a gentle arc that exits horizontally from the role node before curving to the skill - Added `fill: none` to paths (required since paths auto-fill unlike lines) - Added CSS transitions on stroke/stroke-opacity/stroke-width (150ms ease) for smooth highlight animations, respecting prefers-reduced-motion - applyGraphHighlight link styling unchanged — stroke/stroke-opacity/stroke-width attributes work identically on `` as on `` - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx, Ralph/prd.json - **Learnings for future iterations:** - When converting `` to ``, always add `fill: none` — SVG paths default to `fill: black` which would cover the curve area - Quadratic bezier with control point at `((sx+tx)/2, sy)` creates a nice horizontal-exit curve from role nodes — the path leaves horizontally then arcs down/up to the skill - CSS transitions work on SVG `` stroke properties, so no D3 `.transition()` needed for link highlight animations (unlike `r` attribute which requires D3 transitions) - The tick handler generates the `d` attribute string directly — simpler than using `d3.line().curve()` since we only need two-point curves --- ## 2026-02-16 - US-008 - Added compact HTML legend below SVG inside CareerConstellation container - Legend shows three 6px coloured dots with labels: Technical (var(--accent)), Clinical (var(--success)), Leadership (var(--amber)) - Items separated by middle dot (·) separators using var(--border) colour - Includes "Hover to explore connections" hint text at slightly reduced opacity (0.7) - Uses font-family var(--font-geist-mono), font-size 10px, colour var(--text-tertiary) - flex-wrap enabled for graceful narrowing on small screens - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx, Ralph/prd.json - **Learnings for future iterations:** - The legend is pure React JSX — no D3 involved. Placed between the SVG and the screen reader description paragraph inside the container div - Using React.Fragment with the `.map()` allows conditional separator rendering (skip before first item) without extra wrapper divs - The container div's overflow:hidden clips the legend's border-radius corners cleanly --- ## 2026-02-16 - US-009 - Tuned D3 force simulation for clinical layout — role nodes firmly anchored, skill nodes distributed cleanly to the right - Role positioning: removed jitter from homeX, all roles at consistent `timelineX + 80 + ROLE_WIDTH/2` offset - Skill positioning: pushed centroid right of roles (`skillSpaceStart = roleX + ROLE_WIDTH/2 + 40`) so skills cluster in available right-side space - Charge force: split by node type — roles get -120 (stronger repulsion for pill shapes), skills get -55 (moderate clustering) - Link distance increased from 56 to 72 to account for wider pill-shaped role nodes - Link strength reduced from `strength * 0.7` to `strength * 0.5` for more organic skill distribution - Skill forceX/Y strength reduced from 0.2 to 0.18 for slightly more organic spread - Role forceY reduced marginally from 1.0 to 0.98 (effectively still anchored but allows micro-adjustment) - Collision force: skill radius increased to `SKILL_RADIUS_ACTIVE + 16` (27px) to prevent label overlap on hover; added `.iterations(2)` for better separation - alphaDecay increased from 0.06 to 0.08 (animated) and 0.26 to 0.28 (reduced-motion) for faster settling (~1.5s) - Reduced-motion tick count decreased from 220 to 150 to match faster alphaDecay - Boundary clamping: roles now respect topPadding/bottomPadding; skills use skillBottomPadding (radius + gap + label height = 37px) and 40px right margin for label overflow - Files changed: src/components/CareerConstellation.tsx, Ralph/prd.json, Ralph/progress.txt - **Learnings for future iterations:** - Split charge strength by node type (`d => d.type === 'role' ? -120 : -55`) — pill-shaped roles need stronger repulsion to avoid overlap while small skill nodes can cluster more tightly - Collision `.iterations(2)` significantly improves separation quality for densely connected subgraphs at minimal performance cost - Consistent role homeX (no jitter) creates a clean vertical column effect — visual order comes from the simulation, not random initial positioning - Skill homeX centroid should be explicitly pushed right of the role column, not just inherited from role positions — the +60 offset plus skillSpaceStart ensures skills don't overlap role pills - Boundary clamping must account for the full visual footprint including labels: for skills, that's radius + dy offset + text line height below the node center ---