diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/brand.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/brand.rs
index 0a528569..461af137 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/brand.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/brand.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //! The VectorCraft brand mark: the app icon (the engraved dragon, `assets/app-icon/`, see its
 //! README). The PNG carries the icon's rounded corners; it is decoded once per context into a
-//! mipmapped texture, so it stays crisp from the 22 pt app-bar mark to the About box.
+//! mipmapped texture, so it stays crisp from the 18 pt app-bar mark to the About box.
 
 use egui::{Color32, Context, Id, Rect, TextureHandle, TextureOptions, Ui, pos2};
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ mod tests {
         let (uploads, marks) = frame();
         assert_eq!(uploads, 1);
         assert_eq!(marks.len(), 1);
-        assert_eq!(marks[0].size(), egui::vec2(22.0, 22.0));
+        assert_eq!(marks[0].size(), egui::vec2(18.0, 18.0));
         // Later frames reuse the texture.
         let (uploads, marks) = frame();
         assert_eq!((uploads, marks.len()), (0, 1));
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/chrome.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/chrome.rs
index 653f24fb..a8c8b15e 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/chrome.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/chrome.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 
-use egui::{CornerRadius, Sense, Stroke, StrokeKind, Ui, vec2};
+use egui::{CornerRadius, Sense, Stroke, Ui, vec2};
 use serde_json::json;
 use vectorcraft_doc::NodeKind;
 
@@ -12,8 +12,12 @@ use crate::theme::{self, Tokens};
 use crate::widgets;
 use crate::{VectorcraftApp, icons, menus, titlebar};
 
-/// The application bar's height, in points.
-pub const APP_BAR_HEIGHT: f32 = 44.0;
+/// The application bar's height, in points (compact, as in PhotoCraft).
+pub const APP_BAR_HEIGHT: f32 = 32.0;
+/// The brand mark's side.
+const MARK: f32 = 18.0;
+/// Height of the workspace switcher.
+const WIDGET_H: f32 = 22.0;
 
 /// The application bar: brand mark, Home, menus, then Discord, search and the workspace switcher
 /// at the right. With [`VectorcraftApp::custom_titlebar`] it is also the window's title bar
@@ -33,12 +37,12 @@ pub fn app_bar(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ui: &mut Ui) {
         ui.horizontal_centered(|ui| {
             // With the system title bar the OS draws its own icon: no in-app brand mark.
             if !system {
-                let (r, _) = ui.allocate_exact_size(vec2(22.0, 22.0), Sense::hover());
+                let (r, _) = ui.allocate_exact_size(vec2(MARK, MARK), Sense::hover());
                 crate::brand::paint_mark(ui, r);
-                ui.add_space(4.0);
+                ui.add_space(6.0);
             }
             let on_home = menus::home_showing(app);
-            if widgets::icon_button(ui, "house", tl!("Home"), on_home, 24.0).clicked() {
+            if widgets::icon_button(ui, "house", tl!("Home"), on_home, 20.0).clicked() {
                 app.run("app.home", json!({})).ok();
             }
             ui.add_space(2.0);
@@ -51,8 +55,8 @@ pub fn app_bar(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ui: &mut Ui) {
                 menus::menu_bar(app, ui)
             };
             // The right-side group fills the space after the menus from the right; when it runs
-            // short, Discord goes first (it is also under Help), then the search box becomes an
-            // icon, then the workspace switcher narrows.
+            // short, Discord goes first (it is also under Help), then the search icon (the palette
+            // stays under its shortcut), then the workspace switcher narrows.
             let full = ui.max_rect();
             let right_edge = if custom { full.right() - titlebar::WIDTH - 10.0 } else { full.right() };
             let right = egui::Rect::from_min_max(egui::pos2(menus_end + 8.0, full.top()), egui::pos2(right_edge, full.bottom()));
@@ -63,45 +67,31 @@ pub fn app_bar(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ui: &mut Ui) {
             let ws = ui.painter().layout_no_wrap(ws_name, egui::FontId::proportional(12.0), t.text);
             let ws_w = (ws.size().x + 36.0).clamp(112.0, 190.0);
             let gap = ui.spacing().item_spacing.x;
-            let with_search = ws_w + 8.0 + gap + 200.0;
-            let search_full = room >= with_search;
-            let discord = room >= with_search + 10.0 + gap + crate::community::discord_width(ui, false);
-            let ws_w = if search_full { ws_w } else { ws_w.min(room - 8.0 - gap - 24.0).max(64.0) };
+            // The search icon, as in PhotoCraft: shown while a minimal switcher fits beside it.
+            let icon = 28.0;
+            let search = room >= 64.0 + 8.0 + gap + icon;
+            let ws_w = ws_w.min(room - 8.0 - gap - if search { icon } else { 0.0 }).max(64.0);
+            let discord = search && room >= ws_w + 8.0 + gap + icon + 10.0 + gap + crate::community::discord_width(ui, false);
             let mut rui = ui.new_child(egui::UiBuilder::new().max_rect(right).layout(egui::Layout::right_to_left(egui::Align::Center)));
             let ui = &mut rui;
             // Workspace switcher: shows the current workspace, opens Window → Workspace.
-            let (wr, wresp) = ui.allocate_exact_size(vec2(ws_w, 24.0), Sense::click());
+            let (wr, wresp) = ui.allocate_exact_size(vec2(ws_w, WIDGET_H), Sense::click());
             ui.painter().rect_filled(wr, CornerRadius::same(4), if wresp.hovered() { t.hover } else { t.panel });
             ui.painter().with_clip_rect(wr.shrink2(vec2(4.0, 0.0))).galley(wr.left_center() + vec2(10.0, -ws.size().y / 2.0), ws, t.text);
             icons::paint(ui, "chevron-down", egui::Rect::from_center_size(wr.right_center() - vec2(12.0, 0.0), vec2(12.0, 12.0)), t.text_dim);
             let wresp = wresp.on_hover_text(tl!("Switch workspace"));
             egui::Popup::menu(&wresp).show(|ui| crate::workspaces::popup(app, ui));
             ui.add_space(8.0);
-            // Search box → command palette.
-            let open_palette = if search_full {
-                let (r, resp) = ui.allocate_exact_size(vec2(200.0, 24.0), Sense::click());
-                ui.painter().rect_filled(r, CornerRadius::same(12), t.input);
-                ui.painter().rect_stroke(
-                    r,
-                    CornerRadius::same(12),
-                    Stroke::new(1.0, if resp.hovered() { t.input_border } else { t.divider }),
-                    StrokeKind::Inside,
-                );
-                icons::paint(ui, "search", egui::Rect::from_center_size(r.left_center() + vec2(14.0, 0.0), vec2(13.0, 13.0)), t.text_dim);
-                ui.painter().text(
-                    r.left_center() + vec2(26.0, 0.0),
-                    egui::Align2::LEFT_CENTER,
-                    tl!("Search commands and tools"),
-                    egui::FontId::proportional(11.5),
-                    t.text_dim,
-                );
-                resp.clicked()
-            } else {
-                widgets::icon_button(ui, "search", tl!("Search commands and tools"), false, 24.0).clicked()
-            };
-            if open_palette {
-                app.ui.palette_open = true;
-                app.ui.palette_query.clear();
+            // Search → command palette (its shortcut opens it too).
+            if search {
+                let tip = match menus::shortcut_of("help.commandPalette") {
+                    Some(sc) => format!("{}  ({})", tl!("Search commands and tools"), menus::pretty_shortcut(sc)),
+                    None => tl!("Search commands and tools").to_string(),
+                };
+                if widgets::icon_button(ui, "search", &tip, app.ui.palette_open, icon).clicked() {
+                    app.ui.palette_open = !app.ui.palette_open;
+                    app.ui.palette_query.clear();
+                }
             }
             if discord {
                 ui.add_space(10.0);
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/titlebar.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/titlebar.rs
index d9b9f11c..79b00c53 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/titlebar.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/titlebar.rs
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ mod tests {
                     .layers()
                     .filter(|(l, _)| l.order != Order::Foreground)
                     .flat_map(|(_, ws)| ws.iter())
-                    .filter(|w| w.sense.senses_click() && w.rect.top() < 44.0 && !skip.contains(&w.id))
+                    .filter(|w| w.sense.senses_click() && w.rect.top() < 32.0 && !skip.contains(&w.id))
                     .map(|w| w.rect)
                     .collect()
             })
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ mod tests {
             let out = w.frame(vec![]);
             let [min, max, close] = CAPTIONS.map(|c| w.caption(c));
             assert_eq!((close.right(), close.top()), (width, 0.0), "Close sits in the window's corner at {width}");
-            assert!(close.height() >= 42.0 && [min, max, close].iter().all(|r| r.width() == BUTTON_WIDTH));
+            assert!(close.height() >= 30.0 && [min, max, close].iter().all(|r| r.width() == BUTTON_WIDTH));
             assert_eq!((min.right(), max.right()), (max.left(), close.left()));
             let widgets = w.bar_widgets();
             assert!(widgets.len() >= 11, "home, eight menus, workspace switcher, search: {widgets:?}");
@@ -273,10 +273,12 @@ mod tests {
                     assert!(!a.shrink(0.5).intersects(b.shrink(0.5)), "{a:?} overlaps {b:?} at {width}");
                 }
             }
-            // Wide windows show the whole group; narrow ones drop Discord and shorten the search.
+            // Wide windows show the whole group; narrow ones drop Discord, then the search icon.
             let texts: Vec<String> = texts(&out).into_iter().map(|(t, _)| t).collect();
             let has = |s: &str| texts.iter().any(|t| t == s);
-            assert_eq!((has("Discord"), has("Search commands and tools")), (width > 1000.0, width > 1000.0), "{width}: {texts:?}");
+            assert_eq!(has("Discord"), width > 1000.0, "{width}: {texts:?}");
+            // Search is an icon only (as in PhotoCraft): its label lives in the tooltip.
+            assert!(!has("Search commands and tools"), "{width}: {texts:?}");
         }
     }
 
@@ -314,7 +316,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn empty_bar_space_drags_and_double_click_maximizes() {
         let mut w = Win::new(1440.0);
         w.frame(vec![]);
-        let empty = pos2(700.0, 22.0);
+        let empty = pos2(700.0, 16.0);
         assert!(w.bar_widgets().iter().all(|r| !r.contains(empty)), "the probe point must be empty bar space");
         let cmds = w.gesture(&[empty, empty + vec2(12.0, 4.0), empty + vec2(30.0, 8.0)]);
         assert_eq!(cmds.iter().filter(|c| matches!(c, ViewportCommand::StartDrag)).count(), 1, "{cmds:?}");