diff --git a/app/(marketing)/page.tsx b/app/(marketing)/page.tsx
index 2a15724..4be91a2 100644
--- a/app/(marketing)/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(marketing)/page.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export default function Page() {
     description: t("pages.home.heroBanner.description"),
     ctaText: t("pages.home.heroBanner.ctaText"),
     ctaHref: t("pages.home.heroBanner.ctaHref"),
+    imageAlt: t("heroBanner.imageAlt"),
   };
 
   const cardStepsData = {
diff --git a/app/components/cards/CaseStudy/CaseStudy.view.tsx b/app/components/cards/CaseStudy/CaseStudy.view.tsx
index f90db1f..f9ea5b7 100644
--- a/app/components/cards/CaseStudy/CaseStudy.view.tsx
+++ b/app/components/cards/CaseStudy/CaseStudy.view.tsx
@@ -45,19 +45,22 @@ function CaseStudyView({
   return (
     <div
       data-figma-node="21993-32352"
-      className={`relative flex h-[305px] w-[305px] shrink-0 overflow-hidden ${CASE_TILE_RADIUS_CLASS} ${SURFACE_CLASS[surface]} ${className}`.trim()}
+      className={`relative h-[305px] w-[305px] shrink-0 overflow-hidden ${CASE_TILE_RADIUS_CLASS} ${SURFACE_CLASS[surface]} ${className}`.trim()}
     >
       {visual ? (
         <div className="flex size-full items-center justify-center p-2">{visual}</div>
       ) : (
-        <Art
-          role="img"
-          aria-label={imageAlt}
-          data-case-study-art={SURFACE_ART_DATA_KEY[surface]}
-          width={305}
-          height={305}
-          className="pointer-events-none size-full select-none object-contain object-center"
-        />
+        <div className="absolute inset-0">
+          <Art
+            role="img"
+            aria-label={imageAlt}
+            data-case-study-art={SURFACE_ART_DATA_KEY[surface]}
+            width="100%"
+            height="100%"
+            className="pointer-events-none block select-none"
+            preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet"
+          />
+        </div>
       )}
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/app/components/sections/HeroBanner/HeroBanner.tsx b/app/components/sections/HeroBanner/HeroBanner.tsx
index d8c8779..5d5d47f 100644
--- a/app/components/sections/HeroBanner/HeroBanner.tsx
+++ b/app/components/sections/HeroBanner/HeroBanner.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
-"use client";
-
 /**
  * Figma: "Sections / Hero" (see registry)
  */
 
 import { memo } from "react";
 import Image from "next/image";
-import { useTranslation } from "../../../contexts/MessagesContext";
 import ContentLockup from "../../type/ContentLockup";
 import HeroDecor from "./HeroDecor";
 import { ASSETS, getAssetPath } from "../../../../lib/assetUtils";
@@ -25,13 +22,18 @@ interface HeroBannerProps {
   description?: string;
   ctaText?: string;
   ctaHref?: string;
+  imageAlt?: string;
 }
 
 const HeroBanner = memo<HeroBannerProps>(
-  ({ title, subtitle, description, ctaText, ctaHref }) => {
-    const t = useTranslation();
-    const imageAlt = t("heroBanner.imageAlt");
-
+  ({
+    title,
+    subtitle,
+    description,
+    ctaText,
+    ctaHref,
+    imageAlt = "Hero illustration",
+  }) => {
     return (
       <section className="bg-transparent px-[var(--spacing-scale-008)] sm:px-[var(--spacing-scale-010)] md:px-[var(--spacing-scale-016)] lg:px-[var(--spacing-scale-024)] xl:px-[var(--spacing-scale-048)]">
         <div className="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-scale-010)]">
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ const HeroBanner = memo<HeroBannerProps>(
             </div>
 
             {/* Hero Image Container */}
-            <div className="w-full h-full md:flex-1 rounded-[8px] overflow-hidden relative z-10 flex items-center justify-center">
+            <div className="relative z-10 flex w-full items-center justify-center overflow-hidden rounded-[8px] aspect-[16/10] md:flex-1">
               <Image
                 src={getAssetPath(ASSETS.HERO_IMAGE)}
                 alt={imageAlt}
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ const HeroBanner = memo<HeroBannerProps>(
                 height={HERO_IMAGE_HEIGHT}
                 priority
                 sizes="(min-width: 768px) 50vw, 100vw"
-                className="w-full h-auto"
+                className="size-full object-contain"
               />
             </div>
           </div>
diff --git a/app/components/sections/HeroBanner/HeroDecor.tsx b/app/components/sections/HeroBanner/HeroDecor.tsx
index 1481772..075ff4a 100644
--- a/app/components/sections/HeroBanner/HeroDecor.tsx
+++ b/app/components/sections/HeroBanner/HeroDecor.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,23 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { memo } from "react";
+import { memo, useEffect, useState } from "react";
 
 interface HeroDecorProps {
   className?: string;
 }
 
 const HeroDecor = memo<HeroDecorProps>(({ className = "" }) => {
+  const [grainEnabled, setGrainEnabled] = useState(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // feTurbulence forces tiled rasterization that reads as top-down segments on
+    // first paint. Flat shapes render immediately; grain applies after paint.
+    const frame = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      setGrainEnabled(true);
+    });
+    return () => cancelAnimationFrame(frame);
+  }, []);
+
   return (
     <svg
       className={`text-[var(--color-surface-default-brand-lighter-accent)] opacity-50 ${className}`}
@@ -59,7 +70,7 @@ const HeroDecor = memo<HeroDecorProps>(({ className = "" }) => {
         </defs>
 
         {/* apply filter only to the decoration paths */}
-        <g fill="currentColor" filter="url(#grain)">
+        <g fill="currentColor" filter={grainEnabled ? "url(#grain)" : undefined}>
           <path d="M1441.54 226.758C1495.92 226.758 1540 320.385 1540 435.879C1540 551.373 1495.92 645 1441.54 645C1387.16 645 1343.08 551.373 1343.08 435.879C1343.08 320.385 1387.16 226.758 1441.54 226.758Z" />
           <path d="M1441.54 226.758C1495.92 226.758 1540 320.385 1540 435.879C1540 551.373 1495.92 645 1441.54 645C1387.16 645 1343.08 551.373 1343.08 435.879C1343.08 320.385 1387.16 226.758 1441.54 226.758Z" />
           <path d="M674.066 209.121C728.443 209.121 772.525 302.748 772.525 418.242C772.525 533.737 728.443 627.363 674.066 627.363C619.688 627.363 575.607 533.737 575.607 418.242C575.607 302.748 619.688 209.121 674.066 209.121Z" />
diff --git a/next.config.mjs b/next.config.mjs
index a0a113f..510c153 100644
--- a/next.config.mjs
+++ b/next.config.mjs
@@ -1,6 +1,23 @@
 import createMDX from "@next/mdx";
 
 /* eslint-env node */
+
+/** Keep viewBox so inline SVGR art can scale/center like `object-contain`. */
+const svgrLoaderOptions = {
+  svgoConfig: {
+    plugins: [
+      {
+        name: "preset-default",
+        params: {
+          overrides: {
+            removeViewBox: false,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    ],
+  },
+};
+
 /** @type {import('next').NextConfig} */
 const nextConfig = {
   output: "standalone",
@@ -22,7 +39,12 @@ const nextConfig = {
     rules: {
       "*.svg": {
         condition: { not: "foreign" },
-        loaders: ["@svgr/webpack"],
+        loaders: [
+          {
+            loader: "@svgr/webpack",
+            options: svgrLoaderOptions,
+          },
+        ],
         as: "*.js",
       },
     },
@@ -104,7 +126,7 @@ const nextConfig = {
     config.module.rules.push({
       test: /\.svg$/,
       issuer: /\.[jt]sx?$/,
-      use: ["@svgr/webpack"],
+      use: [{ loader: "@svgr/webpack", options: svgrLoaderOptions }],
     });
 
     // Bundle analysis - only in production builds