diff --git a/quartodoc/builder/blueprint.py b/quartodoc/builder/blueprint.py
index e796a894..b95b41e9 100644
--- a/quartodoc/builder/blueprint.py
+++ b/quartodoc/builder/blueprint.py
@@ -350,13 +350,16 @@ def enter(self, el: Auto):
             children.append(res)
 
         is_flat = el.children == ChoicesChildren.flat
-        return Doc.from_griffe(
-            el.name,
-            obj,
-            children,
-            flat=is_flat,
-            signature_name=el.signature_name,
-        )
+
+        # Only pass desc_first if it was explicitly set by the user
+        kwargs = {
+            "flat": is_flat,
+            "signature_name": el.signature_name,
+        }
+        if "desc_first" in el._fields_specified:
+            kwargs["desc_first"] = el.desc_first
+
+        return Doc.from_griffe(el.name, obj, children, **kwargs)
 
     def _fetch_members(self, el: Auto, obj: dc.Object | dc.Alias):
         # Note that this could be a static method, if we passed in the griffe loader
diff --git a/quartodoc/layout.py b/quartodoc/layout.py
index dcd8db62..94a36b5a 100644
--- a/quartodoc/layout.py
+++ b/quartodoc/layout.py
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ class AutoOptions(_Base):
     package: Union[str, None, MISSING] = MISSING()
     member_order: Literal["alphabetical", "source"] = "alphabetical"
     member_options: Optional["AutoOptions"] = None
+    desc_first: bool = False
 
     # for tracking fields users manually specify
     # so we can tell them apart from defaults
@@ -344,6 +345,7 @@ class Doc(_Docable):
     obj: Union[dc.Object, dc.Alias]
     anchor: str
     signature_name: SignatureOptions = "relative"
+    desc_first: Optional[bool] = None
 
     class Config:
         arbitrary_types_allowed = True
@@ -358,6 +360,7 @@ def from_griffe(
         anchor: str = None,
         flat: bool = False,
         signature_name: str = "relative",
+        desc_first: Optional[bool] = None,
     ):
         if members is None:
             members = []
@@ -370,6 +373,7 @@ def from_griffe(
             "obj": obj,
             "anchor": anchor,
             "signature_name": signature_name,
+            "desc_first": desc_first,
         }
 
         if kind == "function":
diff --git a/quartodoc/renderers/md_renderer.py b/quartodoc/renderers/md_renderer.py
index b36f1bd2..cad70ab4 100644
--- a/quartodoc/renderers/md_renderer.py
+++ b/quartodoc/renderers/md_renderer.py
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ class MdRenderer(Renderer):
         "full", or "canonical". These options range from just the function name, to its
         full path relative to its package, to including the package name, to its
         the its full path relative to its .__module__.
+    desc_first: bool
+        Whether to place the description (first paragraph of docstring) after the
+        object name and before the signature. When True, the order is: title,
+        description, signature, remaining content. Default is False.
 
     Examples
     --------
@@ -154,6 +158,7 @@ def __init__(
         render_interlinks=False,
         # table_style="description-list",
         table_style="table",
+        desc_first: bool = False,
     ):
         self.header_level = header_level
         self.show_signature = show_signature
@@ -162,6 +167,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.hook_pre = hook_pre
         self.render_interlinks = render_interlinks
         self.table_style = table_style
+        self.desc_first = desc_first
 
         self.crnt_header_level = self.header_level
 
@@ -173,6 +179,59 @@ def _increment_header(self, n=1):
         finally:
             self.crnt_header_level -= n
 
+    def _extract_description(self, el: Union[dc.Object, dc.Alias]) -> Optional[str]:
+        if el.docstring is None:
+            return None
+            
+        patched_sections = qast.transform(el.docstring.parsed)
+        
+        for section in patched_sections:
+            title = section.title or section.kind.value
+            if title == "text":
+                # Get the raw text value from the section
+                text = section.value if hasattr(section, 'value') else ""
+                if text:
+                    # Split on double newline to get first paragraph
+                    paragraphs = text.split('\n\n')
+                    return paragraphs[0].strip() if paragraphs else None
+        
+        return None
+
+    def _render_without_first_paragraph(self, el: Union[dc.Object, dc.Alias]) -> str:
+        if el.docstring is None:
+            return ""
+        
+        str_body = []
+        patched_sections = qast.transform(el.docstring.parsed)
+        first_text_seen = False
+        
+        for section in patched_sections:
+            title = section.title or section.kind.value
+            
+            # Handle the first text section specially
+            if title == "text" and not first_text_seen:
+                first_text_seen = True
+                # Get remaining paragraphs after the first one
+                text = section.value if hasattr(section, 'value') else ""
+                if text:
+                    paragraphs = text.split('\n\n')
+                    if len(paragraphs) > 1:
+                        # Join remaining paragraphs and add them
+                        remaining = '\n\n'.join(paragraphs[1:]).strip()
+                        if remaining:
+                            str_body.append(remaining)
+                continue
+            
+            body: str = self.render(section)
+
+            if title != "text":
+                header = self.render_header(section)
+                str_body.append("\n\n".join([header, body]))
+            else:
+                str_body.append(body)
+
+        return "\n\n".join(str_body)
+
     def _fetch_object_dispname(self, el: "dc.Alias | dc.Object"):
         # TODO: copied from Builder, should move into util function
         if self.display_name in {"name", "short"}:
@@ -453,12 +512,36 @@ def render(self, el: Union[layout.DocClass, layout.DocModule]):
         str_sig = self.signature(el)
         sig_part = [str_sig] if self.show_signature else []
 
-        with self._increment_header():
-            body = self.render(el.obj)
+        # Check for desc_first on the element first, then fall back to renderer default
+        desc_first = getattr(el, 'desc_first', None)
+        if desc_first is None:
+            desc_first = self.desc_first
+        
+        if desc_first:
+            # Extract first paragraph as description
+            desc = self._extract_description(el.obj)
+            
+            with self._increment_header():
+                # Render body without first paragraph
+                body = self._render_without_first_paragraph(el.obj)
+            
+            # Reorder to get title, description, signature, rest of body, members
+            if desc:
+                # Wrap description in a div with inline styles
+                desc_wrapped = f'::: {{.lead style="font-style: italic; margin-top: -10px;"}}\n{desc}\n:::'
+                # If body is not empty, include it; otherwise, don't include it
+                parts = ([title, desc_wrapped, *sig_part, body, *attr_docs, *class_docs, *meth_docs] if body 
+                         else [title, desc_wrapped, *sig_part, *attr_docs, *class_docs, *meth_docs])
+            else:
+                # Case with no description extracted
+                parts = [title, *sig_part, body, *attr_docs, *class_docs, *meth_docs]
+        else:
+            with self._increment_header():
+                body = self.render(el.obj)
+            
+            parts = [title, *sig_part, body, *attr_docs, *class_docs, *meth_docs]
 
-        return "\n\n".join(
-            [title, *sig_part, body, *attr_docs, *class_docs, *meth_docs]
-        )
+        return "\n\n".join(parts)
 
     @dispatch
     def render(self, el: Union[layout.DocFunction, layout.DocAttribute]):
@@ -467,10 +550,33 @@ def render(self, el: Union[layout.DocFunction, layout.DocAttribute]):
         str_sig = self.signature(el)
         sig_part = [str_sig] if self.show_signature else []
 
-        with self._increment_header():
-            body = self.render(el.obj)
+        # Check for desc_first on the element first, then fall back to renderer default
+        desc_first = getattr(el, 'desc_first', None)
+        if desc_first is None:
+            desc_first = self.desc_first
+        
+        if desc_first:
+            # Extract first paragraph as description
+            desc = self._extract_description(el.obj)
+            
+            with self._increment_header():
+                # Render body without the first paragraph
+                body = self._render_without_first_paragraph(el.obj)
+            
+            # Reorder: title, description, signature, rest of body
+            if desc:
+                # Wrap description in a div with inline styles
+                desc_wrapped = f'::: {{.lead style="font-size: 1rem; font-style: italic; margin-top: -10px; line-height: 1;"}}\n{desc}\n:::'
+                parts = [title, desc_wrapped, *sig_part, body] if body else [title, desc_wrapped, *sig_part]
+            else:
+                parts = [title, *sig_part, body]
+        else:
+            with self._increment_header():
+                body = self.render(el.obj)
+            
+            parts = [title, *sig_part, body]
 
-        return "\n\n".join([title, *sig_part, body])
+        return "\n\n".join(parts)
 
     # render griffe objects ===================================================
 
diff --git a/quartodoc/tests/test_renderers.py b/quartodoc/tests/test_renderers.py
index ee241f23..35c5e373 100644
--- a/quartodoc/tests/test_renderers.py
+++ b/quartodoc/tests/test_renderers.py
@@ -247,3 +247,71 @@ def test_render_numpydoc_section_return(snapshot, doc):
     assert snapshot == indented_sections(
         Code=full_doc, Default=res_default, List=res_list
     )
+
+
+# desc_first tests ------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_render_desc_first_function():
+    auto = Auto(name="a_func", package="quartodoc.tests.example", desc_first=True)
+    bp = blueprint(auto)
+
+    renderer = MdRenderer()
+    result = renderer.render(bp)
+
+    # The result should have: title, then description, then signature, then rest
+    desc_pos = result.find("A function")
+    title_pos = result.find("# a_func")
+
+    assert desc_pos != -1
+    assert title_pos != -1
+    assert title_pos < desc_pos
+
+
+def test_render_desc_first_false():
+    auto = Auto(name="a_func", package="quartodoc.tests.example", desc_first=False)
+    bp = blueprint(auto)
+
+    renderer = MdRenderer()
+    result = renderer.render(bp)
+
+    # The result should have: title, signature, then description
+    desc_pos = result.find("A function")
+    title_pos = result.find("# a_func")
+
+    assert desc_pos != -1
+    assert title_pos != -1
+    assert title_pos < desc_pos
+
+
+def test_render_desc_first_class():
+    auto = Auto(name="AClass", package="quartodoc.tests.example", desc_first=True)
+    bp = blueprint(auto)
+
+    renderer = MdRenderer()
+    result = renderer.render(bp)
+
+    # Check that "# AClass" (title) appears before "A class" (description)
+    desc_pos = result.find("A class")
+    title_pos = result.find("# AClass")
+
+    assert desc_pos != -1
+    assert title_pos != -1
+    assert title_pos < desc_pos
+
+
+def test_render_desc_first_renderer_default():
+    auto = Auto(name="a_func", package="quartodoc.tests.example")
+    bp = blueprint(auto)
+
+    # Renderer with desc_first=True as default
+    renderer = MdRenderer(desc_first=True)
+    result = renderer.render(bp)
+
+    # Check that title comes before description
+    desc_pos = result.find("A function")
+    title_pos = result.find("# a_func")
+
+    assert desc_pos != -1
+    assert title_pos != -1
+    assert title_pos < desc_pos