ADR-024: Theme authority boundary between Network and OpenVibe.Shared

Status: Accepted 2026-09-23.

Context and current evidence

• Network serves the theme catalog and user theme preferences (server/themes/routes.js, table themes).
• OpenVibe.Shared ships the built-in theme tokens (builtin-themes.js) and the loader that applies a theme before first paint (theme-loader.js).
• Since 2026-09-17 the default theme has been blue (vibe).

Decision

• Network owns data. It holds the theme catalog (built-in and user-made), ratings, and each user's preference (as a user module).
• Shared owns rendering:
• the token vocabulary (CSS custom properties, including the derived --on-accent family);
• the built-in theme definitions;
• the first-paint loader;
• the rule that every site renders a usable page when Network is unreachable (inline critical canvas, deferred loader).
• Adding a token is a Shared minor release. Removing or renaming one is a major release.
• No site-local themes. Products never define their own themes; they consume tokens.

Alternatives considered

• Themes wholly in Shared: rejected, because user-made themes and preferences are data.
• Wholly in Network: rejected, because first paint must not depend on a Network request.

Migration consequences

None. This is how it already works; the ADR records the boundary.

Rollback

Not applicable.

Acceptance tests

• With Network down, every site paints with the default theme.
• A user's preference follows them across sites.