diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Layout.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Layout.tsx
index 3330ac1..a193908 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Layout.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Layout.tsx
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ export function Layout(): JSX.Element {
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      {/* nav-bar-top — canvas with hairline */}
-      <header className="bg-canvas border-b border-hairline">
+      {/* nav-bar-top — paper gives dark-mode lift vs canvas body */}
+      <header className="bg-paper border-b border-hairline">
         <div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-page px-xl h-16 flex items-center justify-between">
           <Link to="/engagements" className="flex items-center gap-sm" aria-label="Mimic home">
             <span className="inline-block h-6 w-6 rotate-12 bg-primary" aria-hidden />
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/EngagementsListPage.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/EngagementsListPage.tsx
index 4164895..0c3fdb4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/EngagementsListPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/EngagementsListPage.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { Plus } from 'lucide-react';
 import { extractApiError } from '@/api/client';
 import type { Engagement } from '@/api/types';
 import { useDeleteEngagement, useEngagementsList } from '@/hooks/useEngagements';
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ export function EngagementsListPage(): JSX.Element {
         </div>
         {canEditEngagements ? (
           <Link to="/engagements/new" className="btn-primary">
-            + New
+            <Plus size={14} aria-hidden /> New
           </Link>
         ) : null}
       </header>
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ export function EngagementsListPage(): JSX.Element {
           action={
             canEditEngagements ? (
               <Link to="/engagements/new" className="btn-primary">
-                + New engagement
+                <Plus size={14} aria-hidden /> New engagement
               </Link>
             ) : undefined
           }
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/UsersAdminPage.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/UsersAdminPage.tsx
index 4a1a750..d4a43df 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/UsersAdminPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/UsersAdminPage.tsx
@@ -111,43 +111,56 @@ export function UsersAdminPage(): JSX.Element {
       <section className="card-product flex flex-col gap-md">
         <h2 className="text-[20px] font-medium">Create account</h2>
         {/*
-          items-start so each cell top-aligns; the button is wrapped in a flex column
-          that pushes it to align with the input row (label + 4px gap = ~22px offset).
+          Option A structural fix (AC-17.3): labels / inputs / hints in 3 explicit grid rows
+          so the browser can never misalign them by collapsing different-height cells.
+          grid-rows-[auto_auto_auto] ensures row 1 = labels, row 2 = inputs, row 3 = hints.
         */}
-        <form onSubmit={onCreate} className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-4 gap-md items-start">
-          <FormField label="Username" htmlFor="new-username" required>
-            <TextInput
-              id="new-username"
-              value={createForm.username}
-              onChange={(e) => setCreateForm({ ...createForm, username: e.target.value })}
-              required
-            />
-          </FormField>
-          <FormField label="Password" htmlFor="new-password" required hint="≥ 8 characters">
-            <TextInput
-              id="new-password"
-              type="password"
-              value={createForm.password}
-              onChange={(e) => setCreateForm({ ...createForm, password: e.target.value })}
-              required
-              minLength={8}
-            />
-          </FormField>
-          <FormField label="Role" htmlFor="new-role" required>
-            <Select
-              id="new-role"
-              value={createForm.role}
-              onChange={(e) => setCreateForm({ ...createForm, role: e.target.value as Role })}
-              options={ROLE_OPTIONS}
-            />
-          </FormField>
-          {/* Button column: spacer matches label row height so input + button baselines align */}
-          <div className="flex flex-col gap-xs">
-            <div className="h-[22px]" aria-hidden="true" />
-            <button type="submit" className="btn-primary w-full" disabled={createMutation.isPending}>
-              {createMutation.isPending ? 'Creating…' : 'Create'}
-            </button>
-          </div>
+        <form
+          onSubmit={onCreate}
+          className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-4 md:grid-rows-[auto_auto_auto] gap-x-md gap-y-xs"
+        >
+          {/* Row 1 — labels */}
+          <label htmlFor="new-username" className="text-[14px] font-medium text-ink">
+            Username <span className="text-bloom-deep">*</span>
+          </label>
+          <label htmlFor="new-password" className="text-[14px] font-medium text-ink">
+            Password <span className="text-bloom-deep">*</span>
+          </label>
+          <label htmlFor="new-role" className="text-[14px] font-medium text-ink">
+            Role <span className="text-bloom-deep">*</span>
+          </label>
+          <div aria-hidden="true" />
+
+          {/* Row 2 — inputs + button (all same height = h-11) */}
+          <TextInput
+            id="new-username"
+            value={createForm.username}
+            onChange={(e) => setCreateForm({ ...createForm, username: e.target.value })}
+            required
+          />
+          <TextInput
+            id="new-password"
+            type="password"
+            value={createForm.password}
+            onChange={(e) => setCreateForm({ ...createForm, password: e.target.value })}
+            required
+            minLength={8}
+          />
+          <Select
+            id="new-role"
+            value={createForm.role}
+            onChange={(e) => setCreateForm({ ...createForm, role: e.target.value as Role })}
+            options={ROLE_OPTIONS}
+          />
+          <button type="submit" className="btn-primary w-full" disabled={createMutation.isPending}>
+            {createMutation.isPending ? 'Creating…' : 'Create'}
+          </button>
+
+          {/* Row 3 — hints */}
+          <div aria-hidden="true" />
+          <span className="text-[12px] text-graphite">≥ 8 characters</span>
+          <div aria-hidden="true" />
+          <div aria-hidden="true" />
         </form>
         {createError ? (
           <div role="alert" className="text-[14px] text-bloom-deep">
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/index.css b/frontend/src/styles/index.css
index 504c9aa..1a4cc43 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/index.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/index.css
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     --color-cloud: #1f2937;
     --color-fog: #374151;
     --color-steel: #4b5563;
-    --color-hairline: #374151;
+    --color-hairline: #4b5563;
     --color-ink: #f9fafb;
     --color-ink-soft: #e5e7eb;
     --color-ink-deep: #ffffff;