diff --git a/.storybook/preview.js b/.storybook/preview.js
index 59394fb..8b6689a 100644
--- a/.storybook/preview.js
+++ b/.storybook/preview.js
@@ -1,18 +1,27 @@
 import "../app/globals.css";
 
 // Import Google Fonts for Storybook
-import { Inter, Bricolage_Grotesque } from "next/font/google";
+import { Inter, Bricolage_Grotesque, Space_Grotesk } from "next/font/google";
 
 const inter = Inter({
   subsets: ["latin"],
-  weight: ["400", "500"],
+  weight: ["400", "500", "600", "700"],
   variable: "--font-inter",
+  display: "swap",
 });
 
 const bricolageGrotesque = Bricolage_Grotesque({
   subsets: ["latin"],
-  weight: ["400", "500"],
+  weight: ["400", "500", "700", "800"],
   variable: "--font-bricolage-grotesque",
+  display: "swap",
+});
+
+const spaceGrotesk = Space_Grotesk({
+  subsets: ["latin"],
+  weight: ["400", "500", "700"],
+  variable: "--font-space-grotesk",
+  display: "swap",
 });
 
 /** @type { import('@storybook/react').Preview } */
@@ -28,7 +37,9 @@ const preview = {
   },
   decorators: [
     (Story) => (
-      <div className={`${inter.variable} ${bricolageGrotesque.variable}`}>
+      <div
+        className={`${inter.variable} ${bricolageGrotesque.variable} ${spaceGrotesk.variable} font-sans`}
+      >
         <Story />
       </div>
     ),
diff --git a/.storybook/preview.local.js b/.storybook/preview.local.js
index 59394fb..8b6689a 100644
--- a/.storybook/preview.local.js
+++ b/.storybook/preview.local.js
@@ -1,18 +1,27 @@
 import "../app/globals.css";
 
 // Import Google Fonts for Storybook
-import { Inter, Bricolage_Grotesque } from "next/font/google";
+import { Inter, Bricolage_Grotesque, Space_Grotesk } from "next/font/google";
 
 const inter = Inter({
   subsets: ["latin"],
-  weight: ["400", "500"],
+  weight: ["400", "500", "600", "700"],
   variable: "--font-inter",
+  display: "swap",
 });
 
 const bricolageGrotesque = Bricolage_Grotesque({
   subsets: ["latin"],
-  weight: ["400", "500"],
+  weight: ["400", "500", "700", "800"],
   variable: "--font-bricolage-grotesque",
+  display: "swap",
+});
+
+const spaceGrotesk = Space_Grotesk({
+  subsets: ["latin"],
+  weight: ["400", "500", "700"],
+  variable: "--font-space-grotesk",
+  display: "swap",
 });
 
 /** @type { import('@storybook/react').Preview } */
@@ -28,7 +37,9 @@ const preview = {
   },
   decorators: [
     (Story) => (
-      <div className={`${inter.variable} ${bricolageGrotesque.variable}`}>
+      <div
+        className={`${inter.variable} ${bricolageGrotesque.variable} ${spaceGrotesk.variable} font-sans`}
+      >
         <Story />
       </div>
     ),
diff --git a/app/components/QuoteBlock.js b/app/components/QuoteBlock.js
index 8341a6e..3598a2f 100644
--- a/app/components/QuoteBlock.js
+++ b/app/components/QuoteBlock.js
@@ -140,30 +140,32 @@ const QuoteBlock = ({
           <div className={`flex flex-col ${config.avatarGap}`}>
             {/* Avatar with error handling */}
             <div className="relative">
-              <Image
-                src={currentAvatarSrc}
-                alt={`Portrait of ${author}`}
-                width={64}
-                height={64}
-                className={`filter sepia ${
-                  config.avatar
-                } transition-opacity duration-300 ${
-                  imageLoading ? "opacity-0" : "opacity-100"
-                }`}
-                loading="lazy"
-                onError={handleImageError}
-                onLoad={handleImageLoad}
-              />
+              {!imageError ? (
+                <Image
+                  src={avatarSrc}
+                  alt={`Portrait of ${author}`}
+                  width={64}
+                  height={64}
+                  className={`filter sepia ${
+                    config.avatar
+                  } transition-opacity duration-300 ${
+                    imageLoading ? "opacity-0" : "opacity-100"
+                  }`}
+                  loading="lazy"
+                  onError={handleImageError}
+                  onLoad={handleImageLoad}
+                />
+              ) : null}
 
               {/* Loading state */}
-              {imageLoading && (
+              {imageLoading && !imageError && (
                 <div
                   className={`absolute inset-0 bg-gray-200 animate-pulse rounded-full ${config.avatar}`}
                 />
               )}
 
               {/* Error state - show initials */}
-              {imageError && !imageLoading && (
+              {imageError && (
                 <div
                   className={`flex items-center justify-center bg-gray-300 rounded-full ${config.avatar} text-gray-600 font-bold`}
                 >
@@ -184,7 +186,20 @@ const QuoteBlock = ({
               className="relative"
             >
               <p
-                className={`font-bricolage-grotesque font-normal ${config.quote} text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)] -indent-[0.5em] relative before:content-['\\201C'] after:content-['\\201D'] before:mr-[0.05em] after:ml-[0.05em] before:[font-family:var(--font-bricolage-grotesque)] after:[font-family:var(--font-bricolage-grotesque)]`}
+                data-qopen="&ldquo;"
+                data-qclose="&rdquo;"
+                className={[
+                  "font-bricolage-grotesque font-normal",
+                  config.quote,
+                  "text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)]",
+                  // give space for the hanging open-quote so it's not clipped:
+                  "pl-[0.6em] -indent-[0.6em]",
+                  // inject quotes
+                  "relative before:content-[attr(data-qopen)] after:content-[attr(data-qclose)]",
+                  // lock quote glyphs to your display face
+                  "before:[font-family:var(--font-bricolage-grotesque)]",
+                  "after:[font-family:var(--font-bricolage-grotesque)]",
+                ].join(" ")}
               >
                 {quote}
               </p>
@@ -199,7 +214,16 @@ const QuoteBlock = ({
             </cite>
             {source && (
               <p
-                className={`font-inter font-normal ${config.source} text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)] uppercase -indent-[0.5em] relative before:content-['\\201C'] after:content-['\\201D'] before:mr-[0.05em] after:ml-[0.05em] before:[font-family:var(--font-inter)] after:[font-family:var(--font-inter)]`}
+                data-qopen="&ldquo;"
+                data-qclose="&rdquo;"
+                className={[
+                  "font-inter font-normal",
+                  config.source,
+                  "text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)] uppercase",
+                  "pl-[0.6em] -indent-[0.6em]",
+                  "relative before:content-[attr(data-qopen)] after:content-[attr(data-qclose)]",
+                  "before:[font-family:var(--font-inter)] after:[font-family:var(--font-inter)]",
+                ].join(" ")}
               >
                 {source}
               </p>
diff --git a/stories/QuoteBlock.stories.js b/stories/QuoteBlock.stories.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b4f0f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stories/QuoteBlock.stories.js
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+import QuoteBlock from "../app/components/QuoteBlock";
+
+export default {
+  title: "Components/QuoteBlock",
+  component: QuoteBlock,
+  parameters: {
+    layout: "fullscreen",
+    docs: {
+      description: {
+        component: `
+A responsive quote section component that displays inspirational governance quotes with author attribution and decorative geometric elements.
+
+## Features
+- **Three variants**: compact, standard, and extended layouts
+- **Responsive design**: Adapts across all breakpoints
+- **Error handling**: Graceful fallbacks for image loading failures
+- **Accessibility**: WCAG 2.1 AA compliant with proper ARIA labels
+- **Design system integration**: Uses design tokens for consistent styling
+
+## Usage
+\`\`\`jsx
+<QuoteBlock 
+  variant="standard"
+  quote="Your quote text here..."
+  author="Author Name"
+  source="Source Title"
+  avatarSrc="path/to/avatar.jpg"
+/>
+\`\`\`
+        `,
+      },
+    },
+  },
+  argTypes: {
+    variant: {
+      control: { type: "select" },
+      options: ["compact", "standard", "extended"],
+      description: "Layout variant for different use cases",
+    },
+    quote: {
+      control: { type: "text" },
+      description: "The quote text to display",
+    },
+    author: {
+      control: { type: "text" },
+      description: "Author name for attribution",
+    },
+    source: {
+      control: { type: "text" },
+      description: "Source title (book, article, etc.)",
+    },
+    avatarSrc: {
+      control: { type: "text" },
+      description: "Path to author avatar image",
+    },
+    fallbackAvatarSrc: {
+      control: { type: "text" },
+      description: "Fallback avatar image path",
+    },
+    onError: {
+      action: "error",
+      description: "Error callback function",
+    },
+  },
+};
+
+// Default story
+export const Default = {
+  args: {
+    variant: "standard",
+    quote:
+      "The rules of decision-making must be open and available to everyone, and this can happen only if they are formalized.",
+    author: "Jo Freeman",
+    source: "The Tyranny of Structurelessness",
+    avatarSrc: "assets/Quote_Avatar.svg",
+  },
+};
+
+// All variants comparison
+export const AllVariants = {
+  render: () => (
+    <div className="space-y-8 p-4">
+      <div>
+        <h3 className="text-lg font-bold mb-4">Compact Variant</h3>
+        <QuoteBlock
+          variant="compact"
+          quote="The rules of decision-making must be open and available to everyone."
+          author="Jo Freeman"
+          source="The Tyranny of Structurelessness"
+          avatarSrc="assets/Quote_Avatar.svg"
+        />
+      </div>
+
+      <div>
+        <h3 className="text-lg font-bold mb-4">Standard Variant</h3>
+        <QuoteBlock
+          variant="standard"
+          quote="The rules of decision-making must be open and available to everyone, and this can happen only if they are formalized."
+          author="Jo Freeman"
+          source="The Tyranny of Structurelessness"
+          avatarSrc="assets/Quote_Avatar.svg"
+        />
+      </div>
+
+      <div>
+        <h3 className="text-lg font-bold mb-4">Extended Variant</h3>
+        <QuoteBlock
+          variant="extended"
+          quote="The rules of decision-making must be open and available to everyone, and this can happen only if they are formalized."
+          author="Jo Freeman"
+          source="The Tyranny of Structurelessness"
+          avatarSrc="assets/Quote_Avatar.svg"
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  ),
+  parameters: {
+    docs: {
+      description: {
+        story:
+          "Side-by-side comparison of all three variants to show the differences in layout, typography, and spacing.",
+      },
+    },
+  },
+};
+
+// Error state simulation
+export const ErrorState = {
+  args: {
+    variant: "standard",
+    quote:
+      "The rules of decision-making must be open and available to everyone, and this can happen only if they are formalized.",
+    author: "Jo Freeman",
+    source: "The Tyranny of Structurelessness",
+    avatarSrc: "invalid-image-path.jpg", // This will trigger error state
+    onError: (error) => console.log("QuoteBlock error:", error),
+  },
+  parameters: {
+    docs: {
+      description: {
+        story:
+          "Error state when avatar image fails to load. Shows initials fallback and error handling.",
+      },
+    },
+  },
+};