diff --git a/.claude/ux-guidelines.md b/.claude/ux-guidelines.md
index db9ac3f..8f8fa41 100644
--- a/.claude/ux-guidelines.md
+++ b/.claude/ux-guidelines.md
@@ -242,3 +242,23 @@ Updated workspace returns
 The interaction is consistent in intent — both modes confirm input acceptance and pause the active response area — but the page-level behaviour differs because one constructs from nothing while the other refines existing context.
 
 Users should never wonder whether their input has been accepted or whether the engine is still reasoning.
+
+## Workspace Polish (v0.7)
+
+The workspace should feel calm. Every visible element must justify its presence.
+
+Unknown values should usually be hidden rather than represented with placeholders.
+
+Whitespace is preferred over decorative UI.
+
+Prefer removing over adding. Prefer consistency over cleverness.
+
+Every section group should feel visually connected — spacing within a group is tighter than between groups.
+
+Labels should be brief. "Investigation History" → "History". "Your response" → "Response". The context already makes the meaning clear.
+
+Headings should be clean. Remove unnecessary subheadings that duplicate context. Remove uppercase labels from headings where they add visual noise without adding information.
+
+Cards should have consistent border radius, padding, and heading treatment across the workspace.
+
+An Investigation Map Preview should look provisional — lighter borders, muted text, subtle background — so the user knows it is a preview rather than completed content.
diff --git a/components/investigation-map.jsx b/components/investigation-map.jsx
index 1bf3d1d..213c49d 100644
--- a/components/investigation-map.jsx
+++ b/components/investigation-map.jsx
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ export default function InvestigationMap({ turnCount = 0 }) {
   if (!hasActiveTopics && groups.established.length === 0) return null;
 
   return (
-    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white p-5" role="region" aria-label="Investigation map preview">
-      <h2 className="mb-1 text-sm font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-gray-500">
+    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-100 bg-gray-50/50 p-4" role="region" aria-label="Investigation map preview">
+      <h2 className="mb-1 text-sm font-semibold tracking-tight text-gray-400">
         Investigation Map Preview
       </h2>
       <p className="mb-3 text-xs text-gray-400">
diff --git a/components/investigation-summary-panel.jsx b/components/investigation-summary-panel.jsx
index c3a3b23..072cdbd 100644
--- a/components/investigation-summary-panel.jsx
+++ b/components/investigation-summary-panel.jsx
@@ -132,40 +132,19 @@ function InvestigationSummaryPanel({ graph, selectedQuestion, result, updateStat
         </div>
       )}
 
-      {/* Questions */}
-      <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4">
-        <div>
-          <span className="block text-xs text-gray-400">Questions answered</span>
-          <span className={`text-lg font-semibold ${colors.text}`}>{questionsAnswered}</span>
-        </div>
-        <div>
-          <span className="block text-xs text-gray-400">Still working on</span>
-          {/* TODO: avoid implying 1 unknown = 1 remaining question */}
-          {isInvestigating ? (
-            <span className={`text-lg font-semibold ${colors.text}`}>{questionsRemaining > 0 ? questionsRemaining + " items" : "—"}</span>
-          ) : (
-            <span className={`text-lg font-semibold ${colors.text}`}>—</span>
-          )}
-        </div>
-      </div>
-
-      {/* Timestamps */}
-      <div className="space-y-1 text-xs text-gray-400">
-        <div className="flex justify-between">
-          <span>Investigation started</span>
-          <span>{formatTimestamp(investigationStartTime)}</span>
-        </div>
-        <div className="flex justify-between">
-          <span>Last updated</span>
-          <span>{formatTimestamp(lastUpdatedAt)}</span>
-        </div>
-        {elapsedSeconds > 0 && (
-          <div className="flex justify-between">
-            <span>Elapsed since last update</span>
-            <span>{humaniseDuration(elapsedSeconds)}</span>
+      {/* Questions — hidden when no meaningful value to show */}
+      {isInvestigating && questionsRemaining > 0 && (
+        <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4">
+          <div>
+            <span className="block text-xs text-gray-400">Questions answered</span>
+            <span className={`text-lg font-semibold ${colors.text}`}>{questionsAnswered}</span>
           </div>
-        )}
-      </div>
+          <div>
+            <span className="block text-xs text-gray-400">Still working on</span>
+            <span className={`text-lg font-semibold ${colors.text}`}>{questionsRemaining + " items"}</span>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx b/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
index 112823d..636d4e5 100644
--- a/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
+++ b/components/reasoning-workspace.jsx
@@ -249,15 +249,14 @@ function CurrentInvestigationCard({ selectedQuestion, graph }) {
 
   return (
     <div className="investigation-card rounded-lg border-2 border-green-300 bg-green-50 p-6">
-      <h2 className="mb-2 text-sm font-bold uppercase tracking-wide text-green-700">
-        Current investigation
+      <h2 className="mb-2 text-sm font-bold tracking-wide text-green-700">
+        Investigation
       </h2>
       <p className="text-xl font-semibold leading-snug text-gray-900">{q}</p>
       {whyMattersText && (
-        <div className="mt-4 space-y-1">
-          <h3 className="text-xs font-bold uppercase tracking-wide text-green-800">Why this matters</h3>
-          <p className="text-sm text-gray-700">{whyMattersText}</p>
-        </div>
+        <p className="mt-4 text-sm leading-relaxed text-green-800">
+          {whyMattersText}
+        </p>
       )}
     </div>
   );
@@ -318,9 +317,9 @@ function CurrentUnderstandingCard({ currentSummary, plainLanguage }) {
   if (!summary) return null;
 
   return (
-    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white p-5">
-      <h2 className="mb-3 text-sm font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-gray-500">
-        Current understanding
+    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-100 bg-white px-6 pt-5 pb-6">
+      <h2 className="mb-4 text-xl font-semibold tracking-tight text-gray-800">
+        Understanding
       </h2>
       <p className="text-sm leading-relaxed text-gray-700">{summary}</p>
     </div>
@@ -332,9 +331,9 @@ function PlainLanguageCard({ summary }) {
   if (!summary) return null;
 
   return (
-    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white p-5">
-      <h2 className="mb-3 text-sm font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-gray-500">
-        Current understanding
+    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-100 bg-white px-6 pt-5 pb-6">
+      <h2 className="mb-4 text-xl font-semibold tracking-tight text-gray-800">
+        Understanding
       </h2>
       <p className="text-sm leading-relaxed text-gray-700">{summary}</p>
     </div>
@@ -363,22 +362,13 @@ function InvestigationHistoryCard({ turn }) {
         {displayedQuestion}
       </summary>
 
-      <div className="space-y-2 px-4 pb-3 pt-1">
-        <p>
-          <strong>Your answer</strong>
-        </p>
+      <div className="space-y-2 px-4 pb-4 pt-2">
         <p className="text-gray-700">{turn.answer}</p>
 
         {turn.acknowledgement && (
-          <>
-            <hr className="border-gray-200" />
-            <p>
-              <strong>What changed</strong>
-            </p>
-            <p className="italic text-gray-500">
-              {turn.acknowledgement}
-            </p>
-          </>
+          <p className="italic text-gray-500">
+            {turn.acknowledgement}
+          </p>
         )}
       </div>
     </details>
@@ -393,8 +383,8 @@ function InvestigationHistory({ turns }) {
 
   return (
     <div className="space-y-3" data-testid="investigation-history">
-      <h2 className="text-xs font-bold uppercase tracking-wider text-gray-400">
-        Investigation history
+      <h2 className="text-xs font-semibold tracking-wider text-gray-400">
+        History
       </h2>
       <div className="space-y-2">
         {turns.map((turn) => (
@@ -412,9 +402,9 @@ function OriginalSituation({ scenario, centralStatement }) {
   if (!text) return null;
 
   return (
-    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-gray-50/70 px-5 py-4">
-      <h2 className="mb-2 text-xs font-bold uppercase tracking-widest text-gray-400">
-        Original situation
+    <div className="rounded-lg border border-gray-100 bg-gray-50/70 px-5 py-4">
+      <h2 className="mb-2 text-xs font-semibold tracking-wider text-gray-400">
+        Situation
       </h2>
 
       <p className="whitespace-pre-wrap text-sm leading-relaxed text-gray-700">
@@ -694,7 +684,7 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
             <form onSubmit={handleUpdateCaptureAndSubmit} className="space-y-4 rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white p-5">
               <div>
                 <label htmlFor="rw-answer" className="mb-2 block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">
-                  Your response
+                  Response
                 </label>
                 <textarea
                   id="rw-answer"
@@ -713,9 +703,9 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
                 <button
                   type="submit"
                   disabled={!answer.trim()}
-                  className="rounded-lg bg-blue-700 px-5 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white transition hover:bg-blue-600 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-40"
+                  className="rounded-lg bg-blue-700 px-5 py-2.5 text-sm font-medium text-white transition hover:bg-blue-600 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-40"
                 >
-                  Update situation
+                  Update
                 </button>
               </div>
             </form>
@@ -730,7 +720,7 @@ export default function ReasoningWorkspace({
           )}
 
           {/* ── Current understanding (active investigation only) ─ */}
-          {hasCurrentSummaryCondition && !hasSelectedQuestion === false && (
+          {hasCurrentSummaryCondition && hasSelectedQuestion && (
             <CurrentUnderstandingCard currentSummary={graph?.currentSummary || result?.updatedSituationGraph?.currentSummary} plainLanguage={propUnderstanding || null} />
           )}