diff --git a/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(badges)/badges/ae_comp__badge_search.svelte b/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(badges)/badges/ae_comp__badge_search.svelte
index 204328e3..5e977da6 100644
--- a/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(badges)/badges/ae_comp__badge_search.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(badges)/badges/ae_comp__badge_search.svelte
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ import {
     LoaderCircle,
     QrCode,
     RemoveFormatting,
-    Search
+    Search,
+
+    StepForward
+
 } from '@lucide/svelte';
 import { ae_loc, ae_api } from '$lib/stores/ae_stores';
 import { events_sess } from '$lib/stores/ae_events_stores';
@@ -92,82 +95,115 @@ function handle_qr_scan_result(event: {
                 handle_search_trigger();
             })}
             autocomplete="off"
-            class="search_form bg-primary-50-950 border-primary-100-900 flex w-full max-w-7xl flex-col sm:flex-row flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-lg px-2 py-2 shadow-md md:px-12">
+            class="search_form bg-primary-50-950 border-primary-100-900 flex w-full max-w-4xl flex-col sm:flex-row flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-lg px-2 py-2 shadow-lg md:px-12 outline">
             <div
-                class="flex grow flex-col md:flex-row flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-2">
+                class="flex grow flex-col xl:flex-row flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-2">
                 {#if ($ae_loc.trusted_access && $ae_loc.edit_mode) || $ae_loc.manager_access}
-                    <span class="flex flex-row flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1">
-                    <select
-                        bind:value={badges_loc.current.search_badge_type_code}
-                        onchange={handle_search_trigger}
-                        class="select select-sm max-w-fit px-1 text-xs">
-                        <option value="">-- All Badge Types --</option>
-                        {#each badge_type_code_li as badge_type_code (badge_type_code.code)}
-                            <option value={badge_type_code.code}
-                                >{badge_type_code.name}</option>
-                        {/each}
-                    </select>
+                    <div class="flex flex-row flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1">
+                        <span class="flex flex-row flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1">
+                        <select
+                            bind:value={badges_loc.current.search_badge_type_code}
+                            onchange={handle_search_trigger}
+                            class="select select-sm max-w-fit px-1 text-xs">
+                            <option value="">-- All Badge Types --</option>
+                            {#each badge_type_code_li as badge_type_code (badge_type_code.code)}
+                                <option value={badge_type_code.code}
+                                    >{badge_type_code.name}</option>
+                            {/each}
+                        </select>
 
-                    <select
-                        bind:value={badges_loc.current.qry_printed_status}
-                        onchange={handle_search_trigger}
-                        class="select select-sm max-w-fit px-1 text-xs">
-                        <option value="all">-- All Print Status --</option>
-                        <option value="printed">Printed</option>
-                        <option value="not_printed">Not Printed</option>
-                    </select>
+                        <select
+                            bind:value={badges_loc.current.qry_printed_status}
+                            onchange={handle_search_trigger}
+                            class="select select-sm max-w-fit px-1 text-xs">
+                            <option value="all">-- All Print Status --</option>
+                            <option value="printed">Printed</option>
+                            <option value="not_printed">Not Printed</option>
+                        </select>
 
-                    <select
-                        bind:value={badges_loc.current.qry_sort_order}
-                        onchange={handle_search_trigger}
-                        class="select select-sm max-w-fit px-1 text-xs">
-                        <option value="">-- Default Sort --</option>
-                        <option value="name_asc">Name ASC</option>
-                        <option value="name_desc">Name DESC</option>
-                        <option value="updated_desc">Updated DESC</option>
-                        <option value="updated_asc">Updated ASC</option>
-                        <option value="print_count_desc"
-                            >Print Count DESC</option>
-                        <option value="print_first_desc"
-                            >First Printed DESC</option>
-                        <option value="print_last_desc"
-                            >Last Printed DESC</option>
-                        <option value="badge_type_asc">Badge Type ASC</option>
-                        <option value="affiliations_asc"
-                            >Affiliations ASC</option>
-                    </select>
-                    </span>
+                        <select
+                            bind:value={badges_loc.current.qry_sort_order}
+                            onchange={handle_search_trigger}
+                            class="select select-sm max-w-fit px-1 text-xs">
+                            <option value="">-- Default Sort --</option>
+                            <option value="name_asc">Name ASC</option>
+                            <option value="name_desc">Name DESC</option>
+                            <option value="updated_desc">Updated DESC</option>
+                            <option value="updated_asc">Updated ASC</option>
+                            <option value="print_count_desc"
+                                >Print Count DESC</option>
+                            <option value="print_first_desc"
+                                >First Printed DESC</option>
+                            <option value="print_last_desc"
+                                >Last Printed DESC</option>
+                            <option value="badge_type_asc">Badge Type ASC</option>
+                            <option value="affiliations_asc"
+                                >Affiliations ASC</option>
+                        </select>
+                        </span>
 
+                        <input
+                            type="search"
+                            placeholder="Affiliations"
+                            bind:value={badges_loc.current.qry_affiliations}
+                            onkeyup={(e) => {
+                                if (
+                                    e.key === 'Enter' ||
+                                    (badges_loc.current.qry_affiliations?.length ??
+                                        0) >= 3
+                                ) {
+                                    handle_search_trigger();
+                                }
+                            }}
+                            class="input input-sm max-w-fit px-1 text-xs" />
+                    </div>
+                {/if}
+
+                <div class="flex grow flex-row items-center justify-center gap-2">
+
+                    <!-- An extra "start" button that will just set the focus to the input form field -->
+                    <button
+                        type="button"
+                        onclick={() => document.getElementById('badge_fulltext_search_qry_str')?.focus()}
+                        aria-label="Start here — focus search field"
+                        data-testid="badge-start-btn"
+                        class="btn btn-sm preset-filled-secondary-300-700"
+                        class:opacity-30={!!badges_loc.current.fulltext_search_qry_str}
+                        >
+                        <StepForward size="1em" class="mx-1" />
+                        Start Here
+                    </button>
+
+                    <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_autofocus -->
                     <input
                         type="search"
-                        placeholder="Affiliations"
-                        bind:value={badges_loc.current.qry_affiliations}
+                        autofocus
+                        placeholder="name, email, company, organization, etc."
+                        id="badge_fulltext_search_qry_str"
+                        bind:value={badges_loc.current.fulltext_search_qry_str}
+                        autocomplete="off"
+                        data-lpignore="true"
+                        class="
+                            input grow
+                            min-w-96 md:max-w-1/2
+                            transition-all
+                            font-mono text-lg
+                            bg-red-50-900 dark:bg-red-50-950
+                            focus:bg-white
+                            focus:text-black
+                            border border-l-2 border-b-2
+                            border-l-primary-500 border-b-primary-500
+                            border-r-primary-300 border-t-primary-300
+                            dark:border-l-primary-800 dark:border-b-primary-800
+                            "
                         onkeyup={(e) => {
-                            if (
-                                e.key === 'Enter' ||
-                                (badges_loc.current.qry_affiliations?.length ??
-                                    0) >= 3
-                            ) {
+                            if (e.key === 'Enter') {
                                 handle_search_trigger();
                             }
                         }}
-                        class="input input-sm max-w-fit px-1 text-xs" />
-                {/if}
+                        title="Search by name, email, etc. Press Enter." />
 
-                <input
-                    type="search"
-                    placeholder="name, email, company, organization, etc."
-                    id="badge_fulltext_search_qry_str"
-                    bind:value={badges_loc.current.fulltext_search_qry_str}
-                    autocomplete="off"
-                    data-lpignore="true"
-                    class="input grow font-mono text-lg transition-all focus:bg-white min-w-96 md:max-w-1/2 border-l-2 border-b-2 border-l-primary-500 border-b-primary-500"
-                    onkeyup={(e) => {
-                        if (e.key === 'Enter') {
-                            handle_search_trigger();
-                        }
-                    }}
-                    title="Search by name, email, etc. Press Enter." />
+                </div>
             </div>
 
             {#if (badges_loc.current.fulltext_search_qry_str ?? '').trim().length < effective_min_chars}
@@ -202,6 +238,8 @@ function handle_qr_scan_result(event: {
                         badges_loc.current.qry_printed_status = 'all';
                         badges_loc.current.qry_affiliations = '';
                         handle_search_trigger();
+
+                        document.getElementById('badge_fulltext_search_qry_str')?.focus();
                     }}
                     class="
                     hover:text-tertiary-800-200 hover:bg-tertiary-200-800 active:bg-surface-200-700 flex items-center justify-center gap-1 px-3 py-2 text-sm font-bold transition-all duration-1000 hover:duration-300 min-w-0 preset-outlined-tertiary rounded-lg border border-tertiary-200-800