app/(app)/create/components/methodEditFields/CoreValueEditFields.tsx

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import type { CoreValueDetailEntry } from "../../types";
 export interface CoreValueEditFieldsProps {
   value: CoreValueDetailEntry;
   onChange: (_next: CoreValueDetailEntry) => void;
-  /** Disable meaning/signals. Create-flow core-values omits this; final-review locks until Customize. */
+  /** Disable meaning/signals. Facet and final-review callers omit this so fields stay editable on open. */
   readOnly?: boolean;
 }
 

app/(app)/create/screens/card/CommunicationMethodsScreen.tsx

@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
  *
  * Card click opens the Figma create modal (node `20246-15829`) with three
  * editable sections rendered by {@link CommunicationMethodEditFields}. The primary
- * action is **Add Platform** for an unselected card; a selected card in view mode has
+ * action is **Add Platform** for an unselected card and **Save** for a selected
- * no footer primary — **Remove** is available from the kebab (same behavior as legacy
+ * card. **Remove** is available from the kebab (same behavior as legacy
  * footer remove via {@link removeMethodCardFromFacetSelection}).
  */
 
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ export function CommunicationMethodsScreen() {
             methodId: pendingCardId,
             meta: state.customMethodCardMetaById,
             fieldBlocksById: state.customMethodCardFieldBlocksById,
-            modalEditUnlocked: false,
+            modalEditUnlocked: true,
             draftFieldBlocks,
             customFacetDetailsMatchPreset,
           }),

app/(app)/create/screens/card/ConflictManagementScreen.tsx

@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ export function ConflictManagementScreen() {
             methodId: pendingCardId,
             meta: state.customMethodCardMetaById,
             fieldBlocksById: state.customMethodCardFieldBlocksById,
-            modalEditUnlocked: false,
+            modalEditUnlocked: true,
             draftFieldBlocks,
             customFacetDetailsMatchPreset,
           }),

app/(app)/create/screens/card/MembershipMethodsScreen.tsx

@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export function MembershipMethodsScreen() {
             methodId: pendingCardId,
             meta: state.customMethodCardMetaById,
             fieldBlocksById: state.customMethodCardFieldBlocksById,
-            modalEditUnlocked: false,
+            modalEditUnlocked: true,
             draftFieldBlocks,
             customFacetDetailsMatchPreset,
           }),

app/(app)/create/screens/right-rail/DecisionApproachesScreen.tsx

@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ export function DecisionApproachesScreen() {
             methodId: pendingCardId,
             meta: state.customMethodCardMetaById,
             fieldBlocksById: state.customMethodCardFieldBlocksById,
-            modalEditUnlocked: false,
+            modalEditUnlocked: true,
             draftFieldBlocks,
             customFacetDetailsMatchPreset,
           }),

app/components/controls/TextArea/TextArea.container.tsx

@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ const TextAreaContainer = forwardRef<HTMLTextAreaElement, TextAreaProps>(
       },
     };
 
-    // State styles (embedded: Figma 20736-12668 – borderless, darker grey block, white text)
+    // Embedded (Figma 20736-12668): borderless grey block; default copy is
+    // tertiary, primary on focus so seeded modal fields stay muted until edit.
     const getStateStyles = (): {
       textarea: string;
       label: string;
@@ -89,13 +90,13 @@ const TextAreaContainer = forwardRef<HTMLTextAreaElement, TextAreaProps>(
         if (disabled) {
           return {
             textarea:
-              "border-0 bg-[var(--color-surface-default-secondary)] text-[var(--color-content-default-primary)] cursor-not-allowed opacity-60",
+              "border-0 bg-[var(--color-surface-default-secondary)] text-[var(--color-content-default-tertiary,#b4b4b4)] cursor-not-allowed opacity-60",
             label: "text-[var(--color-content-default-secondary)]",
           };
         }
         return {
           textarea:
-            "border-0 bg-[var(--color-surface-default-secondary)] text-[var(--color-content-default-primary)] focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-[var(--color-border-default-tertiary)] focus:ring-inset",
+            "border-0 bg-[var(--color-surface-default-secondary)] text-[var(--color-content-default-tertiary,#b4b4b4)] placeholder:text-[var(--color-content-default-tertiary,#b4b4b4)] focus:text-[var(--color-content-default-primary)] focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-[var(--color-border-default-tertiary)] focus:ring-inset",
           label: "text-[var(--color-content-default-secondary)]",
         };
       }

app/components/controls/TextArea/TextArea.types.ts

@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ export interface TextAreaProps extends Omit<
   showHelpIcon?: boolean;
   /**
    * Visual appearance. "embedded" matches Create modal sections (Figma 20736-12668):
-   * borderless, darker grey background, white text. "default" is standard bordered input.
+   * borderless, darker grey background, tertiary text in default (primary on
+   * focus). "default" is the standard bordered input.
    * @default "default"
    */
   appearance?: TextAreaAppearanceValue;

lib/create/usesWizardFieldBlocksModalBody.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ import { isCustomMethodCardId } from "./isCustomMethodCardId";
  * so meta-only wizard cards show policy copy instead of empty section editors.
  * Pass `customFacetDetailsMatchPreset: false` when the caller knows facet details
  * were edited or cloned from a filled preset.
+ *
+ * Create-flow facet screens and final-review pass `modalEditUnlocked: true` so
+ * section fields stay editable on open (Customize is the kebab wizard).
  */
 export function usesWizardFieldBlocksModalBody(args: {
   methodId: string;

tests/components/ConflictManagementScreen.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import {
+  renderWithProviders as render,
+  screen,
+  cleanup,
+  within,
+} from "../utils/test-utils";
+import { fireEvent } from "@testing-library/react";
+import "@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest";
+import { ConflictManagementScreen } from "../../app/(app)/create/screens/card/ConflictManagementScreen";
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup();
+});
+
+describe("ConflictManagementScreen", () => {
+  it("opens section fields editable without Customize", async () => {
+    render(<ConflictManagementScreen />);
+    fireEvent.click(
+      screen.getAllByRole("button", {
+        name: /Peer Mediation: Trained members/,
+      })[0],
+    );
+    const dialog = await screen.findByRole("dialog");
+    const fields = within(dialog).getAllByRole("textbox");
+    expect(fields.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    for (const field of fields) {
+      expect(field).toBeEnabled();
+    }
+    fireEvent.click(
+      within(dialog).getByRole("button", { name: "More options" }),
+    );
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Customize" }),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});

tests/components/MembershipMethodsScreen.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import {
+  renderWithProviders as render,
+  screen,
+  cleanup,
+  within,
+} from "../utils/test-utils";
+import { fireEvent } from "@testing-library/react";
+import "@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest";
+import { MembershipMethodsScreen } from "../../app/(app)/create/screens/card/MembershipMethodsScreen";
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup();
+});
+
+describe("MembershipMethodsScreen", () => {
+  it("opens section fields editable without Customize", async () => {
+    render(<MembershipMethodsScreen />);
+    fireEvent.click(
+      screen.getAllByRole("button", {
+        name: /Open Access: Maximum inclusion/,
+      })[0],
+    );
+    const dialog = await screen.findByRole("dialog");
+    const fields = within(dialog).getAllByRole("textbox");
+    expect(fields.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    for (const field of fields) {
+      expect(field).toBeEnabled();
+    }
+    fireEvent.click(
+      within(dialog).getByRole("button", { name: "More options" }),
+    );
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Customize" }),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});

tests/components/TextArea.test.tsx

@@ -42,4 +42,17 @@ describe("TextArea appearance", () => {
     expect(textarea).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(textarea).toHaveClass("border-0");
   });
+
+  it("uses tertiary text in the embedded default state and primary on focus", () => {
+    renderWithProviders(
+      <TextArea label="Notes" value="Some text" appearance="embedded" />,
+    );
+    const textarea = screen.getByRole("textbox", { name: /notes/i });
+    expect(textarea).toHaveClass(
+      "text-[var(--color-content-default-tertiary,#b4b4b4)]",
+    );
+    expect(textarea).toHaveClass(
+      "focus:text-[var(--color-content-default-primary)]",
+    );
+  });
 });

tests/pages/communication-methods.test.jsx

@@ -126,6 +126,33 @@ describe("Create flow communication-methods page", () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Customize" })).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  test("meta-only custom policy opens with editable section fields", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    render(
+      <CommunicationMethodsScreenWithState
+        initial={{
+          selectedCommunicationMethodIds: [CUSTOM_POLICY_ID],
+          customMethodCardMetaById: {
+            [CUSTOM_POLICY_ID]: { label: "My policy", supportText: "Desc" },
+          },
+        }}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    await user.click(
+      screen.getAllByRole("button", { name: /My policy: Desc/ })[0],
+    );
+    const dialog = await screen.findByRole("dialog");
+    const textboxes = within(dialog).getAllByRole("textbox");
+    expect(textboxes.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    for (const field of textboxes) {
+      expect(field).not.toBeDisabled();
+    }
+    expect(
+      within(dialog).queryByText("No custom fields yet."),
+    ).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   test("renders without error", () => {
     render(<CommunicationMethodsScreen />);
 

tests/pages/decision-approaches.test.jsx

@@ -201,6 +201,29 @@ describe("Create flow decision-approaches page", () => {
     ).toHaveTextContent("SELECTED");
   });
 
+  test("opens approach fields editable without Customize", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    render(<DecisionApproachesScreen />);
+
+    await user.click(
+      screen.getByRole("button", {
+        name: /Lazy Consensus: A decision is assumed approved/,
+      }),
+    );
+    const dialog = await screen.findByRole("dialog");
+    const textboxes = within(dialog).getAllByRole("textbox");
+    expect(textboxes.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    for (const field of textboxes) {
+      expect(field).not.toBeDisabled();
+    }
+    await user.click(
+      within(dialog).getByRole("button", { name: "More options" }),
+    );
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Customize" }),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   test("clicking a card opens the create modal and confirming selects it", async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     render(<DecisionApproachesScreen />);