Metacrisis Landing page at metacrisis.info

[rufuspollock]

We are creating a dedicated, authoritative Metacrisis intro/definition at metacrisis.info to provide a clear, accessible, and visually engaging destination for understanding and exploring the metacrisis.

Currently, the metacrisis content exists as a simple redirect to a lexicon entry, which does not adequately serve its intended purposes. This project aims to build a multi-page website that integrates and presents existing materials—such as the white paper, the lexicon definition, and related media—in a coherent and compelling way.

Acceptance

• [x] Shaping done ✅2025-10-xx including draft copy for site
• [ ] First pass on website with main page and paper page
  • [ ] Homepage (/)
    • [ ] Presents a concise and authoritative definition of the metacrisis.
    • [ ] Includes a clear Call-to-Action (CTA) to read/download the white paper.
    • [ ] Previews featured resources from the Resource Hub.
  • [ ] White Paper Page (/paper)
    • [ ] Displays a summary/abstract of the white paper.
    • [ ] Includes a prominent link to view or download the full PDF.
  • [ ] Resource Hub (/resources)
    • [ ] Lists curated content (articles, podcasts, videos) in card format.

Tasks

• [x] Shape this
• [x] Create the copy ✅2025-11-07 (a few weeks ago) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lRCGOmxEWllgPZPcXe-uoxlcJ3xT9o4hZHLv6O-WpuU/edit?tab=t.0
• [x] Create a FAMStack (Flowershow + Markdown) website (take inspiration from developmentalspaces.org)
  • [x] Initialize new Flowershow project.
  • [x] Push to life-itself/metacrisis.info GitHub repository.
  • [x] Create placeholder files for key pages.
• [ ] Phase 2 – Expert Consultation
  • [ ] Review outline design with Rufus.
  • [ ] Confirm preferred templates, workflow, and tools.
• [ ] Phase 3 – Implementation (TBD)
  • [ ] Build site based on final guidance.
  • [ ] Populate content and configure deployment.
  • [ ] Update original redirect.

Analysis

SCQH

Situation

Life Itself has substantial, high-value content about the metacrisis, including a white paper and lexicon entry.

Complication

The current presentation (a redirect) does not function as:

1. A compelling landing page introducing the concept.
2. A clear promoter for the white paper.
3. An authoritative dictionary/wiki entry.
4. A hub for further learning and resources.

Question

How can we create a single, authoritative web destination that unifies these functions into one coherent site?

Hypothesis

We will build a Metacrisis Hub using the Life Itself Flowershow tech stack, modeled on sites like https://secondrenaissance.net and https://developmentalspaces.org

The site will include:

1. Homepage (/) — A central entry point defining the metacrisis, featuring the white paper CTA, and previewing the resource hub.
2. Concept Page (/concept) — An in-depth “wiki” definition of the metacrisis.
3. White Paper Page (/white-paper) — A page summarizing and linking to the white paper.
4. Resource Hub (/resources) — A card-based library for related articles, videos, and podcasts.

SCQH (Kyle) Shaping the Metacrisis Hub

Here is the shape-up for this project based on Rufus' initial brief:

• S (Situation): We have significant, high-value content regarding the "metacrisis," including a white paper and a detailed lexicon entry.
• C (Complication): Our current web presence for this (a simple redirect to the lexicon) is not a "proper site." It fails to serve as:
  1. A compelling landing page to introduce the concept.
  2. A clear promoter for the white paper.
  3. An authoritative "dictionary/wiki" definition.
  4. A "learn more" hub for deeper resources.
• Q (Question): How can we create a single, authoritative web destination that successfully integrates all four of these functions into one "proper site"?
• H (Hypothesis): We will build a dedicated, multi-page "Metacrisis Hub" using the existing Life Itself (LI) tech stack (Flowershow, modeling sites like secondrenaissance.net). This site will have a clear, scalable structure:
  1. Homepage (/): A pillar page that clearly defines the metacrisis, features the white paper CTA, and previews the resource hub.
  2. Concept Page (/concept): A dedicated, in-depth "wiki" page for the full definition.
  3. White Paper Page (/white-paper): A dedicated landing page to download/read the paper.
  4. Resource Hub (/resources): A filterable, card-based library (like the 2R Lexicon) for all related articles, videos, and podcasts.

Acceptance Criteria

• [ ] 1 (Homepage): A user visiting the root domain (/) sees a clear, well-designed homepage that:
  1. Provides a concise definition of the metacrisis.
  2. Features a prominent Call-to-Action (CTA) to the white paper.
  3. Includes a preview of the "Resource Hub."
• [ ] 2 (Concept Page): A user can navigate to a /concept page and read the full, in-depth "wiki" definition of the metacrisis in a clean, readable layout.
• [ ] 3 (White Paper Page): A user can navigate to a /white-paper page, read its abstract, and click a link to view/download the white paper PDF.
• [ ] 4 (Resource Hub): A user can navigate to a /resources page and find a filterable, card-based library of articles, videos, and podcasts, (functionally similar to the secondrenaissance.net and https://developmentalspaces.org lexicon).
• [ ] 5 (Tech & Style): The entire site is built using the Flowershow stack and generally matches the visual style (branding, fonts) of other Life Itself sites.
• [ ] 6 (Redirect): The original /metacrisis redirect is updated to point to the new site's homepage.

Tasks (To-Do)

This plan prioritizes leveraging existing in-house expertise before beginning technical implementation.

Phase 1: Project Scaffolding & Consultation Prep

• [X] Initialize a new, clean Flowershow project: metacrisis.info
• [X] Push this new project to the life-itself/metacrisis.info GitHub repository.
• [X] Populate the GitHub Issue (this page) with the SCQH and Acceptance Criteria to clarify the project goals.
• [X] Create blank placeholder files to show the intended sitemap:
  • content/_index.md (Homepage)
  • content/concept.md (Concept Page)
  • content/white-paper.md (White Paper Page)
  • content/resources/placeholder.md (Resource Hub)

Phase 2: Expert Consultation & Pathfinding

• [ ] Contact Rufus, share the new metacrisis.info repo, and ask for a review of the "outline design" (the file structure and SCQH).
• [ ] Ask for his official recommendation on the best way to create this site.
• [ ] Key Questions for Rufus:
  • • [ ] "What is the specific framework/template/tooling you used for secondrenaissance.net? It looks like Flowershow plus custom components."
  • • [ ] "Is there a private template, component library, or 'starter' repo I should use instead of this new clean install?"
  • • [ ] "What is your recommended IDE and workflow (e.g., VS Code + specific extensions) for working with this stack?"

Phase 3: Implementation (TBD based on Phase 2)

• [ ] (TBD) Implement the technical path recommended by Rufus (e.g., "fork this repo," "copy these components," or "continue from your clean install of Flowershow").
• [ ] (TBD) Populate all content into the correct files/structure.
• [ ] (TBD) Configure deployment for metacrisis.info.
• [ ] (TBD) Update the original lexicon redirect.

[kanderson102]

Created an initial shaping of this project based on Rufus' initial brief. The current Github repo can be found here. @rufuspollock thoughts?

[rufuspollock]

@kanderson102 have updated especially with a link for content and distilled scqh

[MaxRamsahoye]

I've made updates.

26th November

• Updated Explainer Page design from Horizontal Topbar (grey) to Vertical Sidebar (eclipse) with a colour theme consistent with the landing page. Visible via the same link below >

25th November

• Designed a v.2 mock-up site (landing and explainer pages): https://maxramsahoye1.wixstudio.com/metacrisisinfo

  • Note: Used very note-style text written previously for metachyralis (my previous conception of a metacrisis field/theory-building meta-project) + text written for and during the sensemaking summerschool

• See also: Metacrisis.info Site Design & Moodboard Doc

20th November

• Made Additions & Amendments to the Draft Site Material [within the 'Landing Page' tab of the Metacrisis.info doc]

[catherinet1]

Updated Resources page: https://metacrisis.info/resources

• Updated copy on resources page with text from "landing page copy" tab. Previous copy is in "Resources (Kyle)" tab. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lRCGOmxEWllgPZPcXe-uoxlcJ3xT9o4hZHLv6O-WpuU/edit?tab=t.wbpqb2dxnuac
• Added resources page to nav bar

Created History page: https://metacrisis.info/history

• Added copy from Genealogy tab of Google Doc. Edited headings slightly for readability.
• Added History page to nav bar

Updated landing page:

• Added quotes from copy doc at the bottom of the landing page

[catherinet1]

A couple of hero design mock-ups (very basic -- focused on the background image).

Tested out some different background images here: https://excalidraw.com/#json=UrCT-c7JOyjxfDecuQ4Ro,2mcrO3wnbJFw3yxLrj_7eQ