# Project Overview — Noble Collectable

## Business

**Noble Collectable** is an e-commerce store for graded, authenticated collectible football cards (soccer). The business model:
- Curate and source rare/high-grade cards (PSA, BGS graded)
- Offer both physical cards and digital editions (NFT/on-chain)
- Target serious collectors, casual fans, and investment-minded buyers
- Ensure provenance, authenticity, and secure insured shipping

## Client Profile

The shop owner (admin) is **non-technical**:
- Needs a simple, familiar interface to add products, manage prices, view orders
- Does not want to learn code or server administration
- Prefers an admin panel similar to Shopify/Wix but with portability and custom payment flexibility

## Goals

1. **Build an online storefront** that feels trustworthy and professional (premium styling, clear grading/authentication details on each card)
2. **Enable self-hosting** on the client's own cPanel hosting (or any future hosting provider), avoiding Shopify/Wix lock-in
3. **Support multiple payment providers** (Stripe, PayPal, Square, etc.) without requiring the store's payment to flow through a SaaS intermediary
4. **Provide a non-technical admin interface** for inventory, orders, and customer management
5. **Support bilingual content** (FR/EN) to serve francophone collectors

## Technology Choice

**WordPress + WooCommerce**, hosted on cPanel (or any PHP-capable host). See [`TECH_STACK.md`](./TECH_STACK.md) for detailed rationale.

## Session Scope

**Phase 1 (this session):**
- Write comprehensive project documentation (this file, tech stack, IA, deployment, admin guide, roadmap)
- Design and finalize a **logo** for the brand
- Create a visual identity guide (colors, typography)
- Reference design: bold, mainstream sports-retail direction (think Topps/Fanatics) rather than boutique/gallery

**Deferred to Phase 2:**
- Local WordPress + WooCommerce Docker environment setup
- WP child theme scaffolding (HTML/CSS/JS)
- WooCommerce product attributes and taxonomy
- Bilingual plugin integration (Polylang)
- Payment gateway configuration
- Client training and go-live

## Documentation Structure

- **[`TECH_STACK.md`](./TECH_STACK.md)** — Platform rationale, local dev tools, hosting assumptions
- **[`INFORMATION_ARCHITECTURE.md`](./INFORMATION_ARCHITECTURE.md)** — Sitemap, product data model, taxonomy
- **[`BRAND_GUIDE.md`](./BRAND_GUIDE.md)** — Logo, color palette, typography rules
- **[`ADMIN_GUIDE.md`](./ADMIN_GUIDE.md)** — How the non-tech client uses the store (adding products, orders, payments)
- **[`DEPLOYMENT.md`](./DEPLOYMENT.md)** — Hosting, installation, moving between hosts
- **[`ROADMAP.md`](./ROADMAP.md)** — Phased build plan and next-session entry point

## Reference Design

A sample boutique-style gallery layout is stored in [`../artifact.html`](../artifact.html) (museum-lot cards, provenance storytelling). This is **not** the final direction — it's a style idea reference. The final store will use bold sports-retail styling (bright team colors, big product images, promo banners) while retaining the layout structure.

## Key Contacts

- **Client/Shop Owner:** Non-technical, needs simple admin
- **Developer:** Yousha Rizvi (this session, ongoing maintenance/migration)

## Next Steps

→ See [`ROADMAP.md`](./ROADMAP.md) for Phase 2 entry point.