“About” Section Revamp Guidelines (Funding-First, Non-Redundant)

“About” Section Revamp Guidelines (Funding-First, Non-Redundant)

Goal: Redesign the About section so it serves the funding-committee path through the site. It must not repeat content already covered in:

  • HOME hero (broad research framing),
  • RESEARCH (projects and details),
  • RESUME (positions, education, timeline).

The About section should answer: 1) Why fund Jaime? (credibility + strategy + execution) 2) What’s the unique edge? (method + scale + reproducibility) 3) What will be delivered next? (direction, not a CV)

0) Hard constraints

  • Do not re-state “Astronomer exploring massive binary stars…” (already on HOME).
  • Do not re-state affiliation/title like “Researcher at MPIA” as the main payload (already on RESUME).
  • Do not re-list projects (SDSS-V, BBC, BLOeM, Algols, MINATO) as a “card catalog” (already on RESEARCH).
  • No broken images. If any image is missing, replace with SVG icon immediately.
  • Keep the section to one screen height on desktop (approx.), with clear scannability.
  • Use consistent visual language (either all icons or all mini-illustrations, but not mixed).

1) Layout concept: “Clean academic hero + 3 pillars”

Desktop layout

Two columns:

  • Left column: identity + hook + action
  • Right column: three stacked pillar cards

Mobile layout

  • Portrait + hook first
  • Pillars stacked
  • Credibility strip becomes a compact list (2×2 grid or vertical)

2) Left column content (Identity + committee-ready hook)

2.1 Portrait

  • Use existing portrait, but simplify styling:
    • remove heavy multi-ring decoration
    • max: one subtle ring OR none

2.2 Headline (positioning line)

One sentence, grant-style. Must be:

  • specific (massive binaries + surveys + inference)
  • impact-oriented (compact objects / GW progenitors / evolution constraints)
  • NOT a repetition of the HOME line

Example pattern (do not copy verbatim): “Building survey-to-inference pipelines to constrain massive-binary evolution and uncover compact companions at scale.”

2.3 Micro-abstract (60–90 words)

A short paragraph that follows:

  • Problem → Approach → Payoff

Rules:

  • Avoid listing institutions or degrees
  • Avoid listing project names
  • Focus on what you deliver as a researcher

Structure:

  • Problem: what’s missing in the field (demographics / interaction products / compact companions)
  • Approach: surveys + RV inference + targeted follow-up + open pipelines
  • Payoff: population constraints relevant to compact-object formation and GW sources

2.4 Credibility chips (3–5)

Small tags under the micro-abstract. Examples:

  • Survey-scale spectroscopy
  • Probabilistic inference
  • Binary evolution
  • Open-source pipelines
  • Compact companions

Avoid:

  • “MPIA”, “Heidelberg”, “Chile” as chips (too biographical; use pillars for narrative if needed)

2.5 CTA buttons (2 primary actions + 1 subtle link)

  • Primary button: Download CV
  • Secondary button: Research (scroll/link)
  • Text link: Contact

Rules:

  • CTAs should be visible without scrolling
  • Use consistent style with site buttons
  • No extra CTAs in this area

3) Right column: the 3 pillar cards (Background / Currently / Research focus)

General rules for all cards:

  • Titles in sentence case, not ALL CAPS
  • Each card contains:
    • small icon (same style across all 3)
    • 2–4 bullets max
    • optional “micro-proof line” in muted text (1 line)
  • Avoid repeating content that belongs in RESUME or RESEARCH

3.1 Pillar 1 — Background (NOT a mini CV)

Purpose: communicate how Jaime thinks and what perspective he brings. Do:

  • one line on international training context (Chile/Europe) as context, not the point
  • emphasize methodological identity and working style
  • focus on “bridging surveys and physics” rather than geography

Content guidelines:

  • Bullet 1: training perspective (quantitative spectroscopy + binaries)
  • Bullet 2: strength: linking observation → inference → population interpretation
  • Bullet 3: value: reproducibility / tool-building / collaboration

Optional accent:

  • a tiny “Chile → Europe” mini-line graphic as a footer accent
  • only if the other two cards also have subtle, matching footer accents

Avoid:

  • listing degrees, years, or full institution history (RESUME has that)
  • “Born in Chile” as the main line (fine as a small aside only)

3.2 Pillar 2 — Currently (Execution, not affiliation)

Purpose: show what’s being executed now that funding accelerates.

Content guidelines (choose 3–4 bullets total):

  • “Now building”: survey-to-inference pipeline, RV/orbit inference at scale
  • “Now leading”: coordination/ownership responsibilities (function, not title soup)
  • “Now shipping”: open-source tooling, reusable pipeline components, reproducible outputs
  • “Now enabling”: targeted follow-up strategy (as a method, not a list of instruments)

Micro-proof line example types:

  • “From survey selection → RV modeling → population constraints.”
  • “Tooling designed for collaboration and reproducibility.”

Avoid:

  • “Postdoc at MPIA” as the headline bullet (belongs elsewhere)
  • listing project names as the main bullets

3.3 Pillar 3 — Research focus (Committees want questions)

Purpose: state a coherent program via 3 concrete research questions.

Write as questions (preferred) or strongly framed themes. Must be more specific than HOME, but not a list of projects.

Recommended 3 focus questions: 1) environment/metallicity dependence of close-binary demographics 2) identifying observable interaction products (mass transfer, mergers) 3) efficient discovery/validation of compact companions in large surveys

Include a tiny “pipeline diagram” visual (new element not elsewhere on the site):

  • Survey → RVs → Orbits → Populations → Compact objects / GW Rules:
  • simple SVG preferred
  • keep it subtle and consistent with site style

Avoid:

  • repeating the HOME phrasing (“massive binary stars & gravitational waves”)
  • listing SDSS-V/BBC/etc. in the focus card

4) Add a “Credibility strip” under the pillars (funding signal)

A thin horizontal strip directly below the pillar cards. It must be scannable and contain 4 items max.

Each item should be a short label + short descriptor. Examples of categories (choose 4):

  • Scale: “Survey-scale spectroscopy”
  • Inference: “Probabilistic RV/orbit modeling”
  • Delivery: “Open-source tools & reproducible pipelines”
  • Leadership: “Coordination & lead-author execution”
  • Impact: “Compact companions & evolution constraints”

Rules:

  • do not include exact metrics unless they are verified and maintained
  • keep to 1 line per item on desktop
  • on mobile, collapse into 2×2 grid or vertical list

5) Keep the storytelling, but move it into an accordion

If there is longer narrative text (e.g., “why massive binaries matter”), move it into a collapsible section titled:

  • “Why massive binaries?” or
  • “Why this problem matters”

Rules:

  • Default collapsed
  • 1–2 paragraphs max inside
  • No duplication with HOME hero text; rewrite to complement it

6) Visual design requirements (to fix the current “dashboard” feel)

  • Remove thick black borders; use:
    • light neutral border OR none
    • soft shadow
  • Reduce corner radius slightly (less “UI kit”)
  • Ensure consistent spacing:
    • reduce empty whitespace above cards
    • align card heights visually
  • Unify imagery:
    • choose icons OR mini-illustrations, not both
    • no mismatched styles (no mixed clipart + line drawing + photo)
  • Typography:
    • titles: sentence case
    • body: slightly larger font + increased line-height
    • keep bullets short (max 1 line each on desktop when possible)

7) Acceptance checklist (Definition of Done)

  • About fits within ~1 desktop viewport height (no “unfinished empty” look)
  • No repeated content from HOME/RESEARCH/RESUME (especially the “research focus” phrasing)
  • 3 pillar cards read as: perspective → execution → program
  • Credibility strip present and scannable
  • All images present; no broken placeholders; SVG icons used where possible
  • One consistent illustration/icon language across the section
  • Clear CTA path: CV → Research → Contact

8) Implementation notes (for agent)

  • Prefer implementing About as a dedicated include:
    • _includes/about.html + _sass/_about.scss (or equivalent)
  • Keep content in a data file if site uses structured data:
    • e.g. _data/about.yml for bullets and labels
  • Ensure responsive behavior:
    • 2-column → stacked at mobile breakpoint
    • pillar cards remain readable and not cramped
  • Test in:
    • desktop wide
    • desktop narrow
    • mobile
  • Validate that internal anchors (Research, Resume, Contact) scroll correctly