diff --git a/docs/UI_MODERNIZATION_AUDIT.md b/docs/UI_MODERNIZATION_AUDIT.md
index 05f589f..dca6b8d 100644
--- a/docs/UI_MODERNIZATION_AUDIT.md
+++ b/docs/UI_MODERNIZATION_AUDIT.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Cortex UI modernization audit
-**Status:** UI modernization implementation complete for this slice; dedicated image-editor affordances removed; native package rebuilt and startup-verified
+**Status:** UI modernization follow-up complete; dedicated image-editor affordances and preset prompt cards removed; native package rebuilt and startup-verified
**Scope:** Every user-facing frontend surface, not a cosmetic theme pass
## What was audited
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ primary problems were structural:
| Area | Finding | Modernization outcome |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Workspace shell | The top bar conveyed almost no context and the sidebar was a loose list of text. | A clear workspace header, local-runtime status, product identity, conversation count, and a deliberate sidebar footer establish hierarchy. |
-| Conversation canvas | A new chat opened into a large, empty dark region. | A compact new-thread orientation gives the canvas a clear starting point without turning it into a marketing screen. |
+| Conversation canvas | A new chat opened into a large, empty dark region, then introduced generic preset prompts. | A quiet new-thread orientation gives the canvas context while leaving the user in control of the first message. |
| Composer | The input was visually stranded in a full-width bottom strip. | The composer is now a centered, elevated input island with integrated local-model context, state feedback, and responsive sizing. |
| Conversation controls | Saved chats, rename, and delete controls had weak grouping and feedback. | The list uses active/hover/focus states, reveal-on-focus actions, and purposeful confirmation dialogs. |
| Settings and submenus | Settings read as a large collection of unrelated boxes. | Text-led categories, descriptive labels, and a unified detail pane make settings read like a native control surface. |
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ opaque background service.
runtime state, conversation navigation, and better destructive-action dialogs.
- `frontend/src/components/ChatPage.tsx` adds the intentional blank-chat launch
surface and docks the composer as part of the conversation canvas. It does
- not advertise image transformation or image generation.
+ not advertise image transformation, image generation, or preset prompt
+ suggestions.
- `frontend/src/components/MessageComposer.tsx` integrates local-model context
into the composer island.
- `frontend/src/components/SettingsPanel.tsx` turns settings into a structured
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ This slice passed the release checks: 44 component tests in a single worker,
6 browser-level flows, typecheck, lint, production build, a fresh Windows
package build, and a packaged launch with `GET /api/v1/health/ready` returning
HTTP 200. The production bundle contains no dedicated image-transform UI
-labels or selectors.
+labels or selectors, and no preset starter-card selectors or labels.
During the audit, the existing packaged executable exposed a separate native
startup defect: Uvicorn's default console formatter dereferenced `sys.stderr`
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ChatPage.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ChatPage.test.tsx
index 2f593ce..69bc645 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ChatPage.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ChatPage.test.tsx
@@ -61,14 +61,14 @@ function renderChat(api: CortexApi, threadId = "thread-a") {
describe("ChatPage composer integration", () => {
afterEach(() => window.sessionStorage.clear());
- it("turns a blank conversation into a useful starting surface", async () => {
- const user = userEvent.setup();
+ it("keeps a blank conversation free of preset prompt suggestions", async () => {
renderChat(chatApi());
await screen.findByRole("heading", { name: "New thread" });
- await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Think through a decision/i }));
- expect(screen.getByLabelText("Message Cortex")).toHaveValue("Help me think through a decision step by step.");
+ expect(screen.queryByText("Think through a decision")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+ expect(screen.queryByText("Check a calculation")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+ expect(screen.getByLabelText("Message Cortex")).toHaveValue("");
});
it("retains the exact draft if generation acceptance fails", async () => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ChatPage.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ChatPage.tsx
index 11c796e..4e90da8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ChatPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ChatPage.tsx
@@ -391,16 +391,6 @@ export function ChatPage({
Ask a question or check a calculation using the model on this device.