diff --git a/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/KanbanBoard.tsx b/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/KanbanBoard.tsx
index add99ea..7cd6494 100644
--- a/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/KanbanBoard.tsx
+++ b/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/KanbanBoard.tsx
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ export default function KanbanBoard({ tasks, isLoading, onTaskClick }: KanbanBoa
 
       <DragOverlay>
         {activeTask ? (
-          <div className="rotate-2 scale-105">
+          <div className="rotate-1 scale-[1.03] opacity-90">
             <TaskCard task={activeTask} onClick={() => {}} />
           </div>
         ) : null}
diff --git a/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/KanbanColumn.tsx b/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/KanbanColumn.tsx
index fd0365d..b40d4ce 100644
--- a/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/KanbanColumn.tsx
+++ b/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/KanbanColumn.tsx
@@ -28,56 +28,56 @@ export default function KanbanColumn({
   const taskIds = tasks.map((t) => t.id)
 
   return (
-    <div
-      className={`
-        flex flex-col min-h-[400px] rounded-xl
-        bg-white/[0.02] border transition-all duration-200
-        ${isOver ? 'border-indigo-500/30 bg-white/[0.04] shadow-lg shadow-indigo-500/5' : 'border-white/5'}
-      `}
-    >
+    <div className="flex flex-col min-h-[300px]">
       {/* Column header */}
-      <div className="px-4 pt-4 pb-3">
-        <div className="flex items-center justify-between mb-2">
-          <h2 className="text-sm font-semibold text-white">{label}</h2>
-          <span
-            className="text-[11px] font-medium px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full"
-            style={{
-              backgroundColor: color + '20',
-              color,
-            }}
-          >
+      <div className="mb-3">
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
+          <h2 className="text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-wider text-[var(--color-text-secondary)]">
+            {label}
+          </h2>
+          <span className="text-[11px] text-[var(--color-text-tertiary)]">
             {tasks.length}
           </span>
         </div>
-        <div className="h-0.5 rounded-full" style={{ backgroundColor: color }} />
+        <div className="h-[2px] rounded-full" style={{ backgroundColor: color }} />
       </div>
 
       {/* Cards area */}
       <div
         ref={setNodeRef}
-        className="flex-1 flex flex-col gap-2 px-3 pb-3 overflow-y-auto"
+        className={`flex-1 flex flex-col gap-2 rounded-lg transition-colors duration-200 py-1 ${
+          isOver ? 'bg-white/[0.02]' : ''
+        }`}
       >
         <SortableContext items={taskIds} strategy={verticalListSortingStrategy}>
           {tasks.map((task) => (
             <TaskCard key={task.id} task={task} onClick={onTaskClick} />
           ))}
         </SortableContext>
+
+        {/* Empty state */}
+        {tasks.length === 0 && !showForm && (
+          <div className="flex-1 flex items-center justify-center min-h-[80px] rounded-lg border border-dashed border-white/[0.06]">
+            <span className="text-[11px] text-[var(--color-text-tertiary)]">No tasks</span>
+          </div>
+        )}
       </div>
 
-      {/* Add task form / button (Pending column only) */}
+      {/* Add task (Pending column only) */}
       {status === WorkTaskStatus.Pending && (
-        <div className="px-3 pb-3">
+        <div className="mt-2">
           {showForm ? (
             <CreateTaskForm onClose={() => setShowForm(false)} />
           ) : (
             <button
               onClick={() => setShowForm(true)}
-              className="flex items-center justify-center gap-1.5 w-full py-2 rounded-lg
-                text-xs text-[#64748b] border border-dashed border-white/10
-                hover:text-white hover:border-white/20 transition-all duration-200"
+              className="flex items-center gap-1.5 w-full py-2 rounded-lg
+                text-[11px] text-[var(--color-text-tertiary)]
+                hover:text-[var(--color-text-secondary)] hover:bg-white/[0.02]
+                transition-colors"
             >
-              <Plus size={14} />
-              Add Task
+              <Plus size={13} />
+              New task
             </button>
           )}
         </div>
diff --git a/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/TaskCard.tsx b/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/TaskCard.tsx
index dcb414b..a40ed7b 100644
--- a/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/TaskCard.tsx
+++ b/TaskTracker.Web/src/components/TaskCard.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useSortable } from '@dnd-kit/sortable'
 import { CSS } from '@dnd-kit/utilities'
-import { CheckSquare, Clock } from 'lucide-react'
+import { Clock } from 'lucide-react'
 import { WorkTaskStatus } from '../types/index.ts'
 import type { WorkTask } from '../types/index.ts'
 import { CATEGORY_COLORS } from '../lib/constants.ts'
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export default function TaskCard({ task, onClick }: TaskCardProps) {
   const style = {
     transform: CSS.Transform.toString(transform),
     transition,
-    opacity: isDragging ? 0.5 : 1,
+    opacity: isDragging ? 0.4 : 1,
   }
 
   const categoryColor = CATEGORY_COLORS[task.category ?? 'Unknown'] ?? CATEGORY_COLORS['Unknown']
@@ -48,14 +48,6 @@ export default function TaskCard({ task, onClick }: TaskCardProps) {
   ).length ?? 0
   const totalSubTasks = task.subTasks?.length ?? 0
 
-  let progressPercent: number | null = null
-  if (task.estimatedMinutes && task.startedAt) {
-    const start = new Date(task.startedAt).getTime()
-    const end = task.completedAt ? new Date(task.completedAt).getTime() : Date.now()
-    const elapsedMins = (end - start) / 60_000
-    progressPercent = Math.min(100, (elapsedMins / task.estimatedMinutes) * 100)
-  }
-
   return (
     <div
       ref={setNodeRef}
@@ -64,62 +56,59 @@ export default function TaskCard({ task, onClick }: TaskCardProps) {
       {...listeners}
       onClick={() => onClick(task.id)}
       className={`
-        relative rounded-lg cursor-grab active:cursor-grabbing
-        bg-[#1a1d27] hover:-translate-y-0.5 hover:shadow-lg hover:shadow-indigo-500/5
-        transition-all duration-200
-        ${isActive ? 'ring-1 ring-cyan-400/60 shadow-[0_0_12px_rgba(6,182,212,0.25)] animate-pulse-glow' : 'shadow-md shadow-black/20'}
+        card-glow rounded-xl cursor-grab active:cursor-grabbing
+        bg-[var(--color-surface)] border transition-all duration-200
+        hover:-translate-y-0.5
+        ${isActive
+          ? 'border-[var(--color-status-active)]/30 animate-pulse-glow'
+          : 'border-[var(--color-border)] hover:border-[var(--color-border-hover)]'
+        }
+        ${isDragging ? 'shadow-xl shadow-black/40' : ''}
       `}
     >
-      {/* Category left border */}
-      <div
-        className="absolute left-0 top-0 bottom-0 w-1 rounded-l-lg"
-        style={{ backgroundColor: categoryColor }}
-      />
+      <div className="px-3.5 py-3">
+        {/* Title row */}
+        <div className="flex items-start gap-2 mb-1.5">
+          {isActive && (
+            <span className="shrink-0 mt-1.5 w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-[var(--color-status-active)] animate-live-dot" />
+          )}
+          <p className="text-[13px] font-medium text-[var(--color-text-primary)] leading-snug flex-1">
+            {task.title}
+          </p>
+        </div>
 
-      <div className="pl-4 pr-3 py-3">
-        {/* Title */}
-        <p className="text-sm font-medium text-white leading-snug mb-2 truncate">
-          {task.title}
-        </p>
+        {/* Meta row */}
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-[11px] text-[var(--color-text-secondary)]">
+          {task.category && (
+            <span className="flex items-center gap-1">
+              <span
+                className="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full"
+                style={{ backgroundColor: categoryColor }}
+              />
+              {task.category}
+            </span>
+          )}
 
-        {/* Category badge */}
-        {task.category && (
-          <span
-            className="inline-block text-[11px] font-medium px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full mb-2"
-            style={{
-              backgroundColor: categoryColor + '20',
-              color: categoryColor,
-            }}
-          >
-            {task.category}
-          </span>
-        )}
-
-        {/* Progress bar */}
-        {progressPercent !== null && (
-          <div className="h-1 w-full bg-white/5 rounded-full mb-2 overflow-hidden">
-            <div
-              className="h-full rounded-full bg-indigo-500 transition-all duration-300"
-              style={{ width: `${progressPercent}%` }}
-            />
-          </div>
-        )}
-
-        {/* Footer row */}
-        <div className="flex items-center justify-between text-[11px] text-[#64748b]">
-          <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-            {elapsed && (
-              <span className="flex items-center gap-1">
-                <Clock size={12} />
-                {elapsed}
-              </span>
-            )}
-          </div>
+          {elapsed && (
+            <span className="flex items-center gap-1">
+              <Clock size={10} />
+              {elapsed}
+            </span>
+          )}
 
           {totalSubTasks > 0 && (
-            <span className="flex items-center gap-1">
-              <CheckSquare size={12} />
-              {completedSubTasks}/{totalSubTasks}
+            <span className="ml-auto flex items-center gap-1">
+              {Array.from({ length: totalSubTasks }, (_, i) => (
+                <span
+                  key={i}
+                  className={`w-1 h-1 rounded-full ${
+                    i < completedSubTasks
+                      ? 'bg-[var(--color-status-completed)]'
+                      : 'bg-white/10'
+                  }`}
+                />
+              ))}
+              <span className="ml-0.5">{completedSubTasks}/{totalSubTasks}</span>
             </span>
           )}
         </div>