Buttons, links, and widgets over featured image

Hi Brad you can use the GP Page Headers - this will tell you more

https://docs.generatepress.com/article/page-header-overview/

But this deals with the header image. What about a big featured image at the top of a front page? Or does this do that too?

The Page Header sits below the site Header, and replaces the featured image.
Just don't add an Image to the Page Header but select the Add Background Image in the Content pane, and it will use the featured image of the post you set the header on.

Okay, I have to be humbly honest, I am confused.

Basically I wanted the big featured image (on my front page) to have a button or link so people can take advantage of an offer or something.

Sorry for my ignorance :/

Or if I could somehow make the large featured image link to another page or something...

OK not a problem. Lets take it a step at a time.
1. Add a Featured image to your front page.
2. Create a GP Page Header and name something appropriate.
3. Go to the content panel.
4. Add some content. Which can include HTML so a title some text and a button for example

<h1>My Title</h1>
<p>Some text goes here</p>
<a href="URL TO PAGE" class="button">My Call to Action text</a>

5. Select Add Padding
6. Select the Add Background Image
7. Set the Container to Full Width and leave the Inner Container as Contained
8. Add Top & Bottom Padding say 100px

Save it and then back to the front page, edit and look for the Layout meta > Page Headers and select your new page header.

Man! Thanks so much!!!

So the color of the button and font type are all taken from customize?

I guess there's no way to put in a menu on the featured image..? Maybe a menu widget?

Yes the button class gets it styling from the customiser.
Menu Widget in their. You could use this plugin to create a widget shortcode for that.

https://wordpress.org/plugins/widget-shortcode/

Thanks so much for all of your help.

Glad to help!

How does David's method above work with the elements feature? I'm trying to overlay my site logo onto the featured image in the navigator theme (yes ive changed from dispatch now!)

Not having any luck with creating a new header element.

Page Headers were the old Header Elements so some of it still applies.....
Might be worth raising a new topic where you can share a link to the site