diff --git a/job-tracker-ui/src/components/DashboardView.tsx b/job-tracker-ui/src/components/DashboardView.tsx
index 47128ed..d09d333 100644
--- a/job-tracker-ui/src/components/DashboardView.tsx
+++ b/job-tracker-ui/src/components/DashboardView.tsx
@@ -359,7 +359,13 @@ export default function DashboardView() {
       {!summaryResource.loading && !summaryResource.error && prefs.cards ? (
         <Box sx={{ display: "grid", gridTemplateColumns: { xs: "1fr", md: "repeat(2, 1fr)", xl: "repeat(4, 1fr)" }, gap: 2, mt: 2 }}>
           {metricCards.map((card) => (
-            <SectionCard key={card.label}>
+            <SectionCard
+              key={card.label}
+              sx={{
+                transition: "box-shadow .2s, transform .2s",
+                "&:hover": { boxShadow: 6, transform: "translateY(-2px)" },
+              }}
+            >
               <Typography variant="overline" sx={{ color: "text.secondary" }}>{card.label}</Typography>
               <Typography variant="h3" sx={{ mt: 0.5 }}>{card.value}</Typography>
               {card.trend || card.caption ? (
diff --git a/job-tracker-ui/src/components/KanbanBoard.tsx b/job-tracker-ui/src/components/KanbanBoard.tsx
index 03e5141..b06fa1d 100644
--- a/job-tracker-ui/src/components/KanbanBoard.tsx
+++ b/job-tracker-ui/src/components/KanbanBoard.tsx
@@ -199,6 +199,9 @@ export default function KanbanBoard() {
                           cursor: "grab",
                           borderRadius: 2.5,
                           borderLeft: `4px solid ${c}`,
+                          transition: "box-shadow .15s, transform .15s",
+                          "&:hover": { boxShadow: 4, transform: "translateY(-1px)" },
+                          "&:active": { cursor: "grabbing" },
                         }}
                       >
                         <CardContent sx={{ p: 1.25, "&:last-child": { pb: 1.25 } }}>
diff --git a/job-tracker-ui/src/theme.ts b/job-tracker-ui/src/theme.ts
index e8d143f..68d03f2 100644
--- a/job-tracker-ui/src/theme.ts
+++ b/job-tracker-ui/src/theme.ts
@@ -254,6 +254,18 @@ export const getTheme = (_mode: "light" | "dark") => {
           WebkitFontSmoothing: "antialiased",
           MozOsxFontSmoothing: "grayscale",
         },
+        // A global floor under every animation added this session (card hover-lift,
+        // MUI's own Dialog/Menu/Collapse transitions, ripple) -- users who set this OS/
+        // browser preference get near-instant, non-animated interactions everywhere at
+        // once, rather than each component needing its own reduced-motion check.
+        "@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)": {
+          "*, *::before, *::after": {
+            animationDuration: "0.01ms !important",
+            animationIterationCount: "1 !important",
+            transitionDuration: "0.01ms !important",
+            scrollBehavior: "auto !important",
+          },
+        },
       },
     },
     MuiPaper: {