diff --git a/src/lib/pages/DictationPage.svelte b/src/lib/pages/DictationPage.svelte
index f189157..eef97a9 100644
--- a/src/lib/pages/DictationPage.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/pages/DictationPage.svelte
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
   import { extractTasks } from "$lib/utils/taskExtractor.js";
   import { pad } from "$lib/utils/time.js";
   import { MAX_PCM_SAMPLES, MIN_CHUNK_SAMPLES, CHUNK_INTERVAL_MS, FEEDBACK_TIMEOUT_MS } from "$lib/utils/constants.js";
+  import { Mic, Loader2, SquareCheck, AlertTriangle } from 'lucide-svelte';
+  import EmptyState from '$lib/components/EmptyState.svelte';
+  import { getPreferences } from '$lib/stores/preferences.svelte.js';
+  import { bionicReading } from '$lib/actions/bionicReading.js';
+  const prefs = getPreferences();
 
   let transcript = $state("");
   let segments = $state([]);
@@ -196,6 +201,7 @@
   async function startRecording() {
     error = "";
     saved = false;
+    transcriptionFailed = false;
     if (!modelReady) {
       if (needsDownload) return;
       await loadModel();
@@ -339,6 +345,7 @@
     } catch (err) {
       console.error("transcribe_pcm failed:", err);
       error = typeof err === "string" ? err : err.message || "Transcription failed";
+      transcriptionFailed = true;
       if (!page.recording) {
         page.status = "Error";
         page.statusColor = "#e87171";
@@ -496,6 +503,15 @@
     const trimmed = transcript.trim();
     return trimmed ? trimmed.split(/\s+/).length : 0;
   });
+
+  let reduceMotion = $derived(
+    prefs.accessibility.reduceMotion === 'on'
+    || (prefs.accessibility.reduceMotion === 'system'
+        && typeof window !== 'undefined'
+        && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches)
+  );
+
+  let transcriptionFailed = $state(false);
 </script>
 
 <div class="flex flex-col h-full animate-fade-in">
@@ -510,7 +526,7 @@
       <!-- Record button -->
       <button
         class="relative flex items-center justify-center w-[40px] h-[40px] min-w-[40px] flex-shrink-0 rounded-full text-white
-          active:scale-[0.93] transition-all duration-200
+          active:scale-[0.93] transition-all
           {page.recording
             ? 'bg-danger animate-pulse-warm'
             : modelLoading
@@ -519,27 +535,36 @@
         onclick={toggleRecording}
         disabled={modelLoading}
         aria-label={page.recording ? "Stop recording" : "Start recording"}
+        style="transition-duration: var(--duration-ui)"
       >
         {#if page.recording}
           <span class="w-[14px] h-[14px] rounded-[3px] bg-white"></span>
         {:else if modelLoading}
-          <svg class="w-4 h-4 animate-spin" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2.5">
-            <path d="M12 2a10 10 0 0 1 10 10" stroke-linecap="round" />
-          </svg>
+          <Loader2 size={16} class="animate-spin" aria-hidden="true" />
         {:else}
           <span class="w-[14px] h-[14px] rounded-full bg-white/90"></span>
         {/if}
       </button>
+      <span class="text-[11px] font-medium flex-shrink-0 {page.recording ? 'text-danger' : 'text-text-secondary'}">
+        {page.recording ? 'Stop' : modelLoading ? 'Loading' : 'Record'}
+      </span>
 
       <!-- Waveform placeholder (Phase 2: live visualiser) -->
       <div class="flex-1 min-h-[32px] rounded-md border border-border-subtle bg-bg-elevated/40 flex items-center px-3">
         {#if page.recording}
           <span class="flex items-end gap-[3px] h-[18px]">
             {#each [0.4, 0.8, 0.5, 1, 0.6, 0.9, 0.4, 0.7, 0.5, 0.8, 0.3, 0.6] as h, i}
-              <span
-                class="w-[2px] rounded-full bg-danger/70 animate-pulse-soft"
-                style="height: {h * 100}%; animation-delay: {i * 60}ms"
-              ></span>
+              {#if reduceMotion}
+                <span
+                  class="w-[2px] rounded-full bg-danger"
+                  style="height: 50%"
+                ></span>
+              {:else}
+                <span
+                  class="w-[2px] rounded-full bg-danger/70 animate-pulse-soft"
+                  style="height: {h * 100}%; animation-delay: {i * 60}ms"
+                ></span>
+              {/if}
             {/each}
           </span>
         {:else}
@@ -586,9 +611,10 @@
         onclick={() => page.taskSidebarOpen = !page.taskSidebarOpen}
         aria-label="Toggle task sidebar"
       >
-        <svg class="w-4 h-4 {page.taskSidebarOpen ? 'text-accent' : 'text-text-tertiary'}" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor">
-          <path d="M9 11l3 3L22 4M21 12v7a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V5a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h11" />
-        </svg>
+        <span class="flex items-center gap-1.5">
+          <SquareCheck size={16} class="{page.taskSidebarOpen ? 'text-accent' : 'text-text-tertiary'}" aria-hidden="true" />
+          <span class="text-[11px] {page.taskSidebarOpen ? 'text-accent' : 'text-text-tertiary'}">Tasks</span>
+        </span>
         {#if taskCount > 0}
           <span class="absolute -top-0.5 -right-0.5 text-[9px] px-1 py-0 rounded-full bg-accent text-white font-medium min-w-[14px] text-center leading-[14px]">
             {taskCount}
@@ -679,19 +705,40 @@
     {/if}
 
     <!-- Transcript area -->
-    <div class="flex-1 px-5 pt-3 pb-3 min-h-0">
+    <div class="flex-1 px-5 pt-3 pb-3 min-h-0" style="--text-transcript: {prefs.accessibility.transcriptSize}px; font-size: var(--text-transcript)">
       <Card classes="h-full flex flex-col">
-        <textarea
-          bind:this={textareaEl}
-          class="font-transcript flex-1 w-full bg-transparent text-text p-6
-                 resize-none focus:outline-none placeholder:text-text-tertiary min-h-0"
-          placeholder={activeTemplate ? "Click a section above, then press record..." : "Your words will appear here..."}
-          bind:value={transcript}
-          onclick={() => { showExportMenu = false; showTemplateMenu = false; }}
-          data-no-transition
-          aria-label="Transcript"
-          aria-live="polite"
-        ></textarea>
+        {#if transcriptionFailed && !transcript.trim() && !page.recording}
+          <div class="flex-1 flex items-center justify-center">
+            <EmptyState icon={AlertTriangle} message="Something went wrong with that transcription. Your audio is saved — try again when you're ready." />
+          </div>
+        {:else if !transcript.trim() && !page.recording && !transcribing}
+          <div class="flex-1 flex items-center justify-center">
+            <EmptyState icon={Mic} message="Press record or Ctrl+Shift+R" />
+          </div>
+          <textarea
+            bind:this={textareaEl}
+            class="font-transcript flex-1 w-full bg-transparent text-text p-6
+                   resize-none focus:outline-none placeholder:text-text-tertiary min-h-0 hidden"
+            placeholder={activeTemplate ? "Click a section above, then press record..." : "Your words will appear here..."}
+            bind:value={transcript}
+            onclick={() => { showExportMenu = false; showTemplateMenu = false; }}
+            data-no-transition
+            aria-label="Transcript"
+            aria-live="polite"
+          ></textarea>
+        {:else}
+          <textarea
+            bind:this={textareaEl}
+            class="font-transcript flex-1 w-full bg-transparent text-text p-6
+                   resize-none focus:outline-none placeholder:text-text-tertiary min-h-0"
+            placeholder={activeTemplate ? "Click a section above, then press record..." : "Your words will appear here..."}
+            bind:value={transcript}
+            onclick={() => { showExportMenu = false; showTemplateMenu = false; }}
+            data-no-transition
+            aria-label="Transcript"
+            aria-live="polite"
+          ></textarea>
+        {/if}
 
         <!-- Status footer (inside transcript card) -->
         <div class="flex items-center justify-between px-6 pb-3 pt-1 flex-shrink-0">