# Pilot review

The [shared pilot](https://manavaada-pilot-test.pages.dev/mvd-pilot-test/) appears to be a deployment of the existing [`concepts.html`](../concepts.html), rather than a fourth independent direction. The distinctive page title, six-color palette, "One guide, built around a reason to go" line, five mobile screens, named sample places and trust section match. I compared the visible page with the local source; I did not verify a byte-for-byte source match.

## What the pilot gets right

| Decision | Why it helps |
| --- | --- |
| "Why go" and "best for" on places | Gives a reader a reason to choose, beyond category and location. |
| A pick by situation in comparisons | Explains editorial judgment without inventing a star score. |
| Source and reviewed date next to content | Makes trust visible during scanning. |
| Corrections shown in public | Makes a changed fact easy to find. |
| A quieter story treatment | Gives local people and reporting room to breathe. |

## Where the new kit takes a different route

| Pilot | Street Index kit |
| --- | --- |
| Ivory, charcoal, terracotta, leaf, chilli and turmeric | Mineral navy, warm mist and one coral accent for a tighter repeatable system |
| Figtree UI with Fraunces for editorial moments | Figtree and Noto Sans Telugu throughout to keep mixed-script scanning consistent |
| No standalone logo system | Vector meeting-point mark with English, Telugu, bilingual and one-color lockups |
| Illustrative image placeholders | Generated documentary art direction, explicitly marked as concept imagery |
| Primarily English sample screens with a Telugu switch shown | Working English and Telugu copy in four screen previews at three widths |
| Separate visual register for Stories | One brand theme with a calmer content rhythm for stories |

The pilot's strongest editorial idea now appears in the new code: the place preview has **Why go** and **Best for**, and the guide includes a **Choose by situation** panel. The new kit keeps the pilot's source/correction principle and applies it to every preview.

## Options for the next exploration round

1. **Street Index as designed:** Best all-round system for browsing, stories and merchant information.
2. **Street Index with more editorial type:** Keep the tighter colors and logo, then test a restrained story-only serif against Telugu headlines and page speed.
3. **Pilot-led Town Companion:** Preserve the pilot's warm palette and content architecture, then reduce the palette and rebuild the logo and bilingual states.

The pilot footer identifies its venues, sources and dates as fictional. Neither pilot nor kit samples should be published as verified local recommendations. A native Telugu reviewer should check copy before production.