diff --git a/cms/templates/index.html b/cms/templates/index.html
index e17fc70f80..1df0878bd0 100644
--- a/cms/templates/index.html
+++ b/cms/templates/index.html
@@ -44,9 +44,11 @@
       <h3 class="sr">${_("Page Actions")}</h3>
       <ul>
         <li class="nav-item">
+          <!-- if can create courses -->
           % if not disable_course_creation:
           <a href="#" class="button new-button new-course-button"><i class="icon-plus"></i> ${_("New Course")}</a>
 
+          <!-- if cannot create courses -->
           % elif settings.MITX_FEATURES.get('STAFF_EMAIL',''):
           <a href="mailto:${settings.MITX_FEATURES.get('STAFF_EMAIL','')}">${_("Email staff to create course")}</a>
           % endif
@@ -58,92 +60,17 @@
 </div>
 
 <div class="wrapper-content wrapper">
-  <section class="content">
-    <article class="content-primary" role="main">
-      % if user.is_active:
-      <div class="introduction">
-        <h2 class="title">${_("Welcome, %(name)s!") % dict(name= user.username)}</h2>
-
-        <div class="copy">
-          <p>${_("Here are all of the courses you currently have access to in Studio:")}</p>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-
-      <div class="my-classes">
-        <ul class="class-list">
-          %for course, url, lms_link in sorted(courses, key=lambda s: s[0].lower() if s[0] is not None else ''):
-          <li>
-            <a class="class-link" href="${url}" class="class-name">
-              <span class="class-name">${course}</span>
-            </a>
-            <a href="${lms_link}" rel="external" class="button view-button view-live-button">View Live</a>
-          </li>
-          %endfor
-        </ul>
-      </div>
-
-      % else:
-      <div class="introduction">
-        <h2 class="title">${_("Thanks for signing up, %(name)s!") % dict(name= user.username)}</h2>
-      </div>
-
-      <div class="notice notice-incontext notice-instruction notice-instruction-verification">
-        <div class="msg">
-          <h3 class="title">${_('We need to verify your email address')}</h3>
-          <div class="copy">
-            <p>${_('Almost there! In order to complete your sign up we need you verify your $emailaddress email address. An activation message and next steps should be waiting for you there.')}</p>
-          </div>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      % endif
-    </article>
-
-    <aside class="content-supplementary" role="complimentary">
-      % if user.is_active:
-      <div class="bit">
-        <h3 class="title title-3">${_('Need help?')}</h3>
-        <p>${_('If you are new to Studio and having trouble getting started, there are a few things that may be of help:')}</p>
-
-        <ol>
-          <li class="nav-item">
-            <a href="http://files.edx.org/Getting_Started_with_Studio.pdf" title="This is a PDF Document">${_('Get started by reading Studio\'s Documentation')}</a>
-          </li>
-          <li class="nav-item">
-            <a href="http://help.edge.edx.org/discussion/new" class="show-tender" title="Use our feedback tool, Tender, to share your feedback">${_('Request help with Studio')}</a>
-          </li>
-        </ol>
-      </div>
-
-        % if disable_course_creation and settings.MITX_FEATURES.get('STAFF_EMAIL',''):
-        <div class="bit">
-          <h3 class="title title-3">${_('Can I author courses in Studio?')}</h3>
-          <p>${_('In order to create courses in Studio, you must')} <a href="mailto:${settings.MITX_FEATURES.get('STAFF_EMAIL','')}">${_("contact edX staff to help you create a course")}</a></p>
-        </div>
-        % endif
-
-      % else:
-      <div class="bit">
-        <h3 class="title title-3">${_('Need help?')}</h3>
-        <p>${_('Please check your Junk or Spam folders in case our email isn\'t in your INBOX. Still can\'t find the verification email? Request help via the link below.')}</p>
-
-        <ol class='list-actions'>
-          <li class="action-item">
-            <a href="http://help.edge.edx.org/discussion/new" class="show-tender" title="Use our feedback tool, Tender, to share your feedback">Request help with your Studio account</a>
-          </li>
-        </ol>
-      </div>
-      % endif
-    </aside>
-  </section>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="wrapper-content wrapper">
-
   <!-- if user is verified/registered studio user -->
   % if user.is_active:
   <section class="content">
     <article class="content-primary" role="main">
+
+
+      <!-- if no courses and can create courses -->
+
+      <!-- if no courses and cannot create courses -->
+
+      <!-- if has courses -->
       <div class="introduction">
         <h2 class="title">${_("Welcome, %(name)s!") % dict(name= user.username)}</h2>
 
@@ -176,7 +103,7 @@
             <p>${_('edX Studio is a hosted solution for our xConsortium partners and selected guests. Courses for which you are a team member appear above for you to edit, while Course Authorship privileges are granted by edX. Our team will evaluate your request and provide you feedback within 24 hours during the work week.')}</p>
           </div>
 
-
+          !-- if request is unrequested -->
           %if course_creator_status = "unrequested":
           <div class="status status-authorship is-unrequested">
             <h4 class="title">${_('Your Authorship Request Status:')}</h4>
@@ -188,6 +115,7 @@
             </ul>
           </div>
 
+          !-- if request is pending -->
           %elif course_creator_status = "pending":
           <div class="status status-authorship has-status is-pending">
             <h4 class="title">${_('Your Authorship Request Status:')}</h4>
@@ -202,6 +130,7 @@
             </dl>
           </div>
 
+          !-- if request is denied -->
           %elif course_creator_status = "denied":
           <div class="status status-authorship has-status is-denied">
             <h4 class="title">${_('Your Authorship Request Status:')}</h4>
@@ -236,6 +165,7 @@
         </ol>
       </div>
 
+      <!-- if course creation happens through edX staff -->
       % if disable_course_creation and settings.MITX_FEATURES.get('STAFF_EMAIL',''):
       <div class="bit">
         <h3 class="title title-3">${_('Can I create courses in Studio?')}</h3>
@@ -243,12 +173,14 @@
       </div>
       % endif
 
+      <!-- if request is unrequested -->
       % if not disable_course_creation and course_creator_status = "unrequested":
       <div class="bit">
         <h3 class="title title-3">${_('Can I create courses in Studio?')}</h3>
         <p>${_('In order to create courses in Studio, you must have authorship rights to create your own course.')}</p>
       </div>
 
+      <!-- if request is denied -->
       % elif not disable_course_creation and course_creator_status = "denied":
       <div class="bit">
         <h3 class="title title-3">${_('Can I create courses in Studio?')}</h3>