Prevent photo-page opens from feeling blocked while a category list is still loading. Defer thumbnail fetches and lower their fetch priority, while keeping detail images high priority for quicker render after navigation.
Make image loading feedback visible on the public gallery so users see progress on slower connections. Add a lightweight spinner overlay for list/detail photos and clear it automatically once each image finishes or fails.
Keep the sections sidebar visible on the home screen but collapse it on inner pages to save space on phones. Add a menu toggle, overlay close controls, and edge-swipe gestures so navigation stays quickly accessible on touch devices.
