diff --git a/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue b/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
index e4d0168..eeee2d6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { computed, onBeforeUnmount, onMounted, ref, watch } from "vue";
+import { computed, nextTick, onBeforeUnmount, onMounted, ref, watch } from "vue";
 import { useRoute, useRouter } from "vue-router";
 import { useSessionStore } from "../stores/session";
 import { useConfigStore } from "../stores/config";
@@ -42,18 +42,18 @@ let searchTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
 
 const shortcuts = [
   { label: "Command palette", keys: ["⌘/Ctrl", "K"] },
-  { label: "New note", keys: ["c"] },
+  { label: "New note (or just start typing)", keys: ["c"] },
   { label: "Search", keys: ["/"] },
   { label: "Go to Board", keys: ["g", "b"] },
   { label: "Go to Graph", keys: ["g", "g"] },
   { label: "Go to Reminders", keys: ["g", "r"] },
   { label: "Go to Timeline", keys: ["g", "t"] },
-  { label: "Move card focus", keys: ["j", "k"] },
-  { label: "Open focused card", keys: ["Enter"] },
+  { label: "Browse cards", keys: ["↑", "↓", "←", "→"] },
+  { label: "Move / open focused card", keys: ["j", "k", "Enter"] },
   { label: "Pin / archive / trash card", keys: ["#", "e", "x"] },
   { label: "Finish & close note", keys: ["⌘/Ctrl", "Enter"] },
-  { label: "Save & new (composer)", keys: ["Shift", "Enter"] },
-  { label: "Close / back to Notes", keys: ["Esc"] },
+  { label: "Save & new (composing)", keys: ["Shift", "Enter"] },
+  { label: "Stop browsing / back to Notes", keys: ["Esc"] },
   { label: "This help", keys: ["?"] },
 ];
 
@@ -70,11 +70,14 @@ function focusSearch() {
   searchInput.value?.select();
 }
 
-// `c` composes: jump to the board (which autofocuses its quick-add) or, if
-// already there, ask the board to reopen the composer.
-function compose() {
-  if (route.name !== "board") void router.push("/");
-  else ui.requestCompose();
+// New note (the "+ New" button and the `c` shortcut): ensure we're on the board,
+// then open the compose modal. Type-to-compose seeds it instead (see onKeydown).
+async function newNote() {
+  if (route.name !== "board") {
+    await router.push("/");
+    await nextTick();
+  }
+  ui.requestCompose();
 }
 
 // Global keyboard shortcuts, active only inside the authed shell. Ignored while
@@ -137,7 +140,7 @@ function onKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
   }
   if (e.key === "c") {
     e.preventDefault();
-    compose();
+    void newNote();
     return;
   }
   if (e.key === "?") {
@@ -149,6 +152,13 @@ function onKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
     gPending = true;
     clearTimeout(gTimer);
     gTimer = setTimeout(() => (gPending = false), 800);
+    return;
+  }
+  // Type-to-compose: any OTHER single printable key, on the board with no card
+  // focused (browse mode owns j/k/e/x/#), opens a new note seeded with that key.
+  if (route.name === "board" && !ui.boardCardFocused && e.key.length === 1 && /\S/.test(e.key)) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    ui.requestCompose(e.key);
   }
 }
 
@@ -240,6 +250,14 @@ async function signOut() {
         </div>
 
         <div class="flex shrink-0 items-center gap-3">
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            class="inline-flex items-center gap-1 rounded-lg bg-brand px-2.5 py-1.5 text-sm font-semibold text-neutral-900 hover:brightness-95 focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand"
+            title="New note (or just start typing)"
+            @click="newNote"
+          >
+            <Icon name="plus" /> <span class="hidden sm:inline">New</span>
+          </button>
           <span class="hidden text-sm text-neutral-500 md:inline dark:text-neutral-400">{{
             session.user?.display_name
           }}</span>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/NoteEditor.vue b/frontend/src/components/NoteEditor.vue
index 9a53145..c7b2e6e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/NoteEditor.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/NoteEditor.vue
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ import { LABEL_CHIP_CLASSES, type NoteColor } from "../notes/colors";
 // or null to compose a new one. In compose mode there is no note id until a draft is
 // persisted — on commit-with-content, or on the first rich action (label / image /
 // reminder / checklist) — so we never litter empty notes.
-const props = withDefaults(defineProps<{ note?: Note | null }>(), {
+const props = withDefaults(defineProps<{ note?: Note | null; initialBody?: string }>(), {
   note: null,
+  initialBody: "",
 });
 const emit = defineEmits<{ (e: "close"): void; (e: "navigate", id: string): void }>();
 const notes = useNotesStore();
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ const titles = useTitlesStore();
 
 const noteId = ref<string | null>(props.note?.id ?? null);
 const title = ref(props.note?.title ?? "");
-const body = ref(props.note?.body ?? "");
+const body = ref(props.note?.body ?? props.initialBody);
 const color = ref<NoteColor>(props.note?.color ?? "default");
 const labelList = ref<NoteLabel[]>(props.note ? [...props.note.labels] : []);
 const createKind = ref<"text" | "list">("text"); // compose-only list toggle
@@ -206,7 +207,10 @@ onMounted(async () => {
   void titles.load();
   void loadBacklinks();
   await nextTick();
-  bodyInput.value?.focus();
+  const el = bodyInput.value;
+  el?.focus();
+  // Put the caret after any seeded text (type-to-compose) so typing continues cleanly.
+  if (el) el.selectionStart = el.selectionEnd = el.value.length;
 });
 
 // ---- outgoing links (edit mode) ----
diff --git a/frontend/src/stores/ui.ts b/frontend/src/stores/ui.ts
index e0d5517..7494c4d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/stores/ui.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/stores/ui.ts
@@ -15,11 +15,17 @@ interface Toast {
 // Cross-component UI signals that don't belong to any single view (e.g. a
 // global shortcut in the app shell asking the board to act).
 export const useUiStore = defineStore("ui", () => {
-  // Bumped to ask the board to open + focus its quick-add composer.
+  // Bumped to ask the board to open the compose modal; composeSeed is the initial
+  // body (a single char for type-to-compose, or "" for the + button / `c`).
   const composeTick = ref(0);
-  function requestCompose() {
+  const composeSeed = ref("");
+  function requestCompose(seed = "") {
+    composeSeed.value = seed;
     composeTick.value++;
   }
+  // The board publishes whether a card is keyboard-focused (browse mode), so the
+  // global handler knows NOT to type-to-compose while browsing cards.
+  const boardCardFocused = ref(false);
 
   // Transient undo toast (e.g. after trash/archive).
   const toast = ref<Toast | null>(null);
@@ -47,5 +53,14 @@ export const useUiStore = defineStore("ui", () => {
     run?.();
   }
 
-  return { composeTick, requestCompose, toast, showToast, dismissToast, runToastAction };
+  return {
+    composeTick,
+    composeSeed,
+    requestCompose,
+    boardCardFocused,
+    toast,
+    showToast,
+    dismissToast,
+    runToastAction,
+  };
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/BoardView.vue b/frontend/src/views/BoardView.vue
index 9f8e4fb..d42dfbc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/BoardView.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/BoardView.vue
@@ -74,22 +74,32 @@ function moveFocus(delta: number) {
     focusedIndex.value < 0 ? 0 : Math.min(Math.max(focusedIndex.value + delta, 0), count - 1);
 }
 
+// Two-mode board keyboard. RESTING (no card focused): letters type-to-compose,
+// handled globally in AppShell; here only the ARROWS enter browse mode. BROWSING (a
+// card focused): j/k move, e/x/# act, Enter opens, Esc exits back to resting.
 function onBoardKey(e: KeyboardEvent) {
-  if (editing.value) return; // the editor modal owns the keyboard while open
+  if (editing.value || composing.value) return; // a modal owns the keyboard
   const el = e.target as HTMLElement | null;
-  if (el && (["INPUT", "TEXTAREA", "BUTTON", "A"].includes(el.tagName) || el.isContentEditable)) return;
+  if (el && (["INPUT", "TEXTAREA", "BUTTON", "A", "SELECT"].includes(el.tagName) || el.isContentEditable)) return;
   if (e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey || e.altKey) return;
   const key = e.key;
-  if (key === "j" || key === "ArrowDown" || key === "ArrowRight") {
+  const browsing = focusedIndex.value >= 0;
+  if (key === "ArrowDown" || key === "ArrowRight" || (browsing && key === "j")) {
     e.preventDefault();
     moveFocus(1);
     return;
   }
-  if (key === "k" || key === "ArrowUp" || key === "ArrowLeft") {
+  if (key === "ArrowUp" || key === "ArrowLeft" || (browsing && key === "k")) {
     e.preventDefault();
     moveFocus(-1);
     return;
   }
+  if (!browsing) return; // resting → let AppShell's type-to-compose take the key
+  if (key === "Escape") {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    focusedIndex.value = -1; // leave browse mode, back to type-to-capture
+    return;
+  }
   const note = orderedNotes.value[focusedIndex.value];
   if (!note) return;
   if (key === "Enter") {
@@ -107,6 +117,9 @@ function onBoardKey(e: KeyboardEvent) {
   }
 }
 
+// Publish browse-mode state so AppShell's type-to-compose stands down while browsing.
+watch(focusedIndex, (i) => (ui.boardCardFocused = i >= 0));
+
 // Keep the selection valid as the list changes / the view switches.
 watch(
   () => orderedNotes.value.length,
@@ -122,7 +135,7 @@ const emptyState = computed(() => {
   if (currentView.value === "archived")
     return { title: "Nothing archived", subtitle: "Archived notes are tucked away here." };
   if (currentLabel.value) return { title: "No notes with this label", subtitle: "Tag a note to see it here." };
-  return { title: "No notes yet", subtitle: "Capture your first thought in the box above." };
+  return { title: "No notes yet", subtitle: "Hit + New — or just start typing — to capture a thought." };
 });
 
 async function reload() {
@@ -138,7 +151,10 @@ onMounted(() => {
   void reload();
   window.addEventListener("keydown", onBoardKey);
 });
-onBeforeUnmount(() => window.removeEventListener("keydown", onBoardKey));
+onBeforeUnmount(() => {
+  window.removeEventListener("keydown", onBoardKey);
+  ui.boardCardFocused = false;
+});
 watch([currentView, currentLabel, facetKey], reload);
 
 function openEditor(note: Note) {
@@ -183,14 +199,6 @@ async function onDrop(target: Note) {
 
 <template>
   <div class="mx-auto w-full max-w-6xl px-4 py-6">
-    <button
-      v-if="isMainBoard"
-      type="button"
-      class="mx-auto mb-6 block w-full max-w-xl rounded-xl border border-neutral-200 bg-white px-4 py-3 text-left text-sm text-neutral-500 shadow-sm transition hover:shadow-md focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand dark:border-neutral-700 dark:bg-neutral-900 dark:text-neutral-400"
-      @click="composing = true"
-    >
-      Take a note…
-    </button>
     <FilterBar v-if="isMainBoard" />
 
     <div v-if="notes.loading" class="py-24 text-center text-sm text-neutral-400">Loading…</div>
@@ -267,6 +275,11 @@ async function onDrop(target: Note) {
   </div>
 
   <template v-if="composing || editing">
-    <NoteEditor :note="editing" @close="closeEditor" @navigate="onNavigate" />
+    <NoteEditor
+      :note="editing"
+      :initial-body="composing ? ui.composeSeed : ''"
+      @close="closeEditor"
+      @navigate="onNavigate"
+    />
   </template>
 </template>