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+# Requirements: SimpleFinanceDash UI Polish
+
+**Defined:** 2026-03-11
+**Core Value:** Opening the app should feel like opening a beautifully designed personal spreadsheet — clean pastel colors, clear data layout, approachable and visually delightful.
+
+## v1 Requirements
+
+Requirements for this milestone. Each maps to roadmap phases.
+
+### Design System
+
+- [ ] **DSGN-01**: All shadcn CSS variables (primary, accent, muted, sidebar, chart-1 through chart-5) use pastel oklch values instead of zero-chroma neutrals
+- [ ] **DSGN-02**: Semantic category color tokens defined in a single source of truth (`lib/palette.ts`) replacing scattered hardcoded hex and Tailwind classes
+- [ ] **DSGN-03**: Dashboard card header gradients unified to a single pastel palette family
+- [ ] **DSGN-04**: Typography hierarchy established — FinancialOverview and AvailableBalance sections are visually dominant hero elements
+- [ ] **DSGN-05**: Consistent positive/negative amount coloring across all tables and summaries (green for positive, destructive for negative, amber for over-budget)
+
+### Auth Screens
+
+- [ ] **AUTH-01**: Login screen has a branded pastel gradient background (not plain white)
+- [ ] **AUTH-02**: Login screen displays a styled app wordmark/logo treatment
+- [ ] **AUTH-03**: Register screen matches login screen's branded look
+- [ ] **AUTH-04**: Auth form errors display with styled alert blocks and error icons
+
+### Navigation & Layout
+
+- [ ] **NAV-01**: Sidebar has a pastel background color distinct from the main content area
+- [ ] **NAV-02**: Sidebar app name has a branded typographic treatment (not plain h2)
+- [ ] **NAV-03**: Active navigation item has a clearly visible color indicator using sidebar-primary token
+- [ ] **NAV-04**: Sidebar is collapsible via a toggle button for smaller screens
+
+### Interaction Quality
+
+- [ ] **IXTN-01**: Form submit buttons show a spinner during async operations (login, register, budget create/edit)
+- [ ] **IXTN-02**: Inline-editable rows show a pencil icon on hover as an edit affordance
+- [ ] **IXTN-03**: Inline edit saves show a brief visual confirmation (row background flash)
+- [ ] **IXTN-04**: Chart tooltips display values formatted with the budget's currency
+- [ ] **IXTN-05**: Category deletion triggers a confirmation dialog before executing
+
+### Empty & Loading States
+
+- [ ] **STATE-01**: Dashboard shows a designed empty state with CTA when user has no budgets
+- [ ] **STATE-02**: Categories page shows a designed empty state with create CTA when no categories exist
+- [ ] **STATE-03**: Loading skeletons are styled with pastel-tinted backgrounds matching section colors
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+- [ ] **FIX-01**: `formatCurrency` uses the user's locale preference instead of hardcoded `de-DE`
+- [ ] **FIX-02**: `InlineEditRow` extracted into a shared component (currently duplicated in BillsTracker, VariableExpenses, DebtTracker)
+
+## v2 Requirements
+
+Deferred to future release. Tracked but not in current roadmap.
+
+### Visual Enhancements
+
+- **VIS-01**: Budget health indicator badge (green/amber/red) next to budget selector
+- **VIS-02**: Progress bars in BillsTracker showing actual vs budget ratio per row
+- **VIS-03**: Animated number transitions when totals recompute after inline edits
+- **VIS-04**: Month navigator with prev/next arrows beside budget selector
+- **VIS-05**: Savings/investments progress arcs per item
+
+### Dark Mode
+
+- **DARK-01**: Pastel dark mode color system (distinct from light pastels)
+- **DARK-02**: Dark mode toggle in settings
+
+### Advanced UX
+
+- **UX-01**: Category creation inline from budget item add flow
+- **UX-02**: Keyboard shortcuts / command palette
+- **UX-03**: Drag-to-reorder categories
+
+## Out of Scope
+
+| Feature | Reason |
+|---------|--------|
+| Dark mode toggle | Light mode pastel system must be right first; dark pastels are a separate design problem |
+| Custom color picker / theme selector | Explicitly excluded per PROJECT.md; tokens are centralized for future theming |
+| Animated page transitions (Framer Motion) | JS weight unjustified for data-first app; tw-animate-css covers needed animations |
+| Toast notifications for every action | Row-level flash feedback is more contextual; toasts only for errors/destructive actions |
+| Onboarding wizard | Improved empty states with CTAs are sufficient for single-user self-hosted app |
+| New chart types (trend lines, sparklines) | Polish existing charts, don't add new data views |
+| CSV import / recurring transactions | Backend features, not UI polish scope |
+
+## Traceability
+
+Which phases cover which requirements. Updated during roadmap creation.
+
+| Requirement | Phase | Status |
+|-------------|-------|--------|
+| DSGN-01 | Phase 1 | Pending |
+| DSGN-02 | Phase 1 | Pending |
+| DSGN-03 | Phase 1 | Pending |
+| DSGN-04 | Phase 1 | Pending |
+| DSGN-05 | Phase 1 | Pending |
+| AUTH-01 | Phase 2 | Pending |
+| AUTH-02 | Phase 2 | Pending |
+| AUTH-03 | Phase 2 | Pending |
+| AUTH-04 | Phase 2 | Pending |
+| NAV-01 | Phase 2 | Pending |
+| NAV-02 | Phase 2 | Pending |
+| NAV-03 | Phase 2 | Pending |
+| NAV-04 | Phase 2 | Pending |
+| IXTN-01 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| IXTN-02 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| IXTN-03 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| IXTN-04 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| IXTN-05 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| STATE-01 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| STATE-02 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| STATE-03 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| FIX-01 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+| FIX-02 | Phase 3 | Pending |
+
+**Coverage:**
+- v1 requirements: 23 total
+- Mapped to phases: 23
+- Unmapped: 0 ✓
+
+---
+*Requirements defined: 2026-03-11*
+*Last updated: 2026-03-11 after initial definition*