diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/MobileNav.tsx b/frontend/src/components/layout/MobileNav.tsx
index ea705ee..08b31d3 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/MobileNav.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/MobileNav.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
 import type { ViewId } from "../../types";
 import { useApp } from "../../context/AppContext";
+import {
+  IconAgent,
+  IconGraph,
+  IconHome,
+  IconReview,
+  IconSearch,
+  IconSpark,
+} from "../ui/icons";
 
-const ITEMS: { id: ViewId; label: string; icon: string }[] = [
-  { id: "home", label: "Overview", icon: "⌂" },
-  { id: "ask", label: "Search", icon: "?" },
-  { id: "explore", label: "Map", icon: "◎" },
-  { id: "agents", label: "AI", icon: "⚡" },
-  { id: "review", label: "Review", icon: "⚖" },
+const ITEMS: { id: ViewId; label: string; Icon: typeof IconHome }[] = [
+  { id: "home", label: "Overview", Icon: IconHome },
+  { id: "ask", label: "Search", Icon: IconSearch },
+  { id: "explore", label: "Map", Icon: IconGraph },
+  { id: "agents", label: "AI", Icon: IconAgent },
+  { id: "review", label: "Review", Icon: IconReview },
 ];
 
 /** Bottom tab bar for phone/tablet — primary navigation on small screens. */
@@ -22,9 +30,10 @@ export function MobileNav() {
           className={`mobile-nav__item ${view === item.id ? "mobile-nav__item--active" : ""}`}
           onClick={() => setView(item.id)}
           aria-current={view === item.id ? "page" : undefined}
+          aria-label={item.label}
         >
           <span className="mobile-nav__icon" aria-hidden>
-            {item.icon}
+            <item.Icon size={20} />
           </span>
           <span className="mobile-nav__label">{item.label}</span>
         </button>
@@ -36,7 +45,7 @@ export function MobileNav() {
         aria-label="Open Cortex Assist"
       >
         <span className="mobile-nav__icon" aria-hidden>
-          ✦
+          <IconSpark size={20} />
         </span>
         <span className="mobile-nav__label">Assist</span>
       </button>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
index 734d0c7..612990c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 import type { ViewId } from "../../types";
 import { useApp } from "../../context/AppContext";
+import {
+  IconAgent,
+  IconGraph,
+  IconHome,
+  IconReview,
+  IconSearch,
+} from "../ui/icons";
 
-const NAV: { id: ViewId; label: string; hint: string; icon: string }[] = [
-  { id: "home", label: "Overview", hint: "Executive summary", icon: "⌂" },
-  { id: "ask", label: "Search", hint: "Ask memory", icon: "?" },
-  { id: "explore", label: "Memory map", hint: "Connections & lineage", icon: "◎" },
-  { id: "agents", label: "AI agents", hint: "Inject & capture", icon: "⚡" },
-  { id: "review", label: "Conflicts", hint: "Human review", icon: "⚖" },
+const NAV: { id: ViewId; label: string; hint: string; Icon: typeof IconHome }[] = [
+  { id: "home", label: "Overview", hint: "Executive summary", Icon: IconHome },
+  { id: "ask", label: "Search", hint: "Ask memory", Icon: IconSearch },
+  { id: "explore", label: "Memory map", hint: "Connections & lineage", Icon: IconGraph },
+  { id: "agents", label: "AI agents", hint: "Inject & capture", Icon: IconAgent },
+  { id: "review", label: "Conflicts", hint: "Human review", Icon: IconReview },
 ];
 
 export function Sidebar() {
@@ -26,9 +33,10 @@ export function Sidebar() {
               className={`sidebar__link ${view === item.id ? "sidebar__link--active" : ""}`}
               onClick={() => setView(item.id)}
               aria-current={view === item.id ? "page" : undefined}
+              aria-label={`${item.label} — ${item.hint}`}
             >
               <span className="sidebar__icon" aria-hidden>
-                {item.icon}
+                <item.Icon size={18} />
               </span>
               <span className="sidebar__text">
                 <span className="sidebar__label">{item.label}</span>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/memory/TimelineView.tsx b/frontend/src/components/memory/TimelineView.tsx
index d6b4fa6..2d51bb9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/memory/TimelineView.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/memory/TimelineView.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import type { DecisionResult } from "../../types";
 import { formatRelativeTime, formatSource } from "../../lib/format";
+import { StateView } from "../ui/StateView";
+import { IconEmpty } from "../ui/icons";
 
 type Props = {
   decisions: DecisionResult[];
@@ -13,9 +15,9 @@ export function TimelineView({ decisions, onSelect }: Props) {
 
   if (sorted.length === 0) {
     return (
-      <section className="timeline-empty">
-        <p>Your organizational timeline will appear here after you search or load memories.</p>
-      </section>
+      <StateView icon={<IconEmpty size={28} />} title="Timeline is empty">
+        Your organizational timeline will appear here after you search or load memories.
+      </StateView>
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/StateView.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ui/StateView.tsx
index c176257..2ea12e1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ui/StateView.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/StateView.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+import { IconEmpty } from "./icons";
 
 type Props = {
-  icon?: string;
+  icon?: ReactNode;
   title: string;
   children?: ReactNode;
   action?: ReactNode;
@@ -9,7 +10,8 @@ type Props = {
 };
 
 /** Empty / error / informational state shared across views. */
-export function StateView({ icon = "◇", title, children, action, tone = "neutral" }: Props) {
+export function StateView({ icon, title, children, action, tone = "neutral" }: Props) {
+  const glyph = icon ?? <IconEmpty size={28} />;
   return (
     <section
       className={`state-view ${tone === "error" ? "state-view--error" : ""}`}
@@ -17,11 +19,11 @@ export function StateView({ icon = "◇", title, children, action, tone = "neutr
       aria-live={tone === "error" ? "assertive" : "polite"}
     >
       <span className="state-view__icon" aria-hidden>
-        {icon}
+        {glyph}
       </span>
       <h3 className="state-view__title">{title}</h3>
-      {children ? <p className="state-view__body">{children}</p> : null}
-      {action ? <div style={{ marginTop: "0.75rem" }}>{action}</div> : null}
+      {children ? <div className="state-view__body">{children}</div> : null}
+      {action ? <div className="state-view__action">{action}</div> : null}
     </section>
   );
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/icons.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ui/icons.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c547ade
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/icons.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import type { SVGProps, ReactNode } from "react";
+
+type IconProps = SVGProps<SVGSVGElement> & { size?: number };
+
+function Icon({ size = 18, children, ...props }: IconProps & { children: ReactNode }) {
+  return (
+    <svg
+      width={size}
+      height={size}
+      viewBox="0 0 24 24"
+      fill="none"
+      stroke="currentColor"
+      strokeWidth="1.75"
+      strokeLinecap="round"
+      strokeLinejoin="round"
+      aria-hidden={props["aria-label"] ? undefined : true}
+      {...props}
+    >
+      {children}
+    </svg>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconHome(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <path d="M4 10.5 12 4l8 6.5V20a1 1 0 0 1-1 1h-5v-6H10v6H5a1 1 0 0 1-1-1z" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconSearch(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <circle cx="11" cy="11" r="6" />
+      <path d="m20 20-4-4" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconGraph(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <circle cx="6" cy="18" r="2.5" />
+      <circle cx="18" cy="6" r="2.5" />
+      <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="2.5" />
+      <path d="M8.2 16.5 15.8 8.5M8.2 16.5 15.8 16.5" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconAgent(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <path d="M13 3 5 14h6l-1 7 9-12h-6z" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconReview(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <path d="M7 4h10v16l-5-3-5 3z" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconEmpty(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <rect x="5" y="5" width="14" height="14" rx="2" />
+      <path d="M9 12h6" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconSpark(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <path d="M12 3v4M12 17v4M3 12h4M17 12h4M5.6 5.6l2.8 2.8M15.6 15.6l2.8 2.8M18.4 5.6l-2.8 2.8M8.4 15.6l-2.8 2.8" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconLock(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <rect x="6" y="10" width="12" height="10" rx="2" />
+      <path d="M8 10V8a4 4 0 1 1 8 0v2" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
+
+export function IconLink(props: IconProps) {
+  return (
+    <Icon {...props}>
+      <path d="M10 14a4 4 0 0 1 0-6l2-2a4 4 0 0 1 6 6l-1 1" />
+      <path d="M14 10a4 4 0 0 1 0 6l-2 2a4 4 0 0 1-6-6l1-1" />
+    </Icon>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/assistant.ts b/frontend/src/lib/assistant.ts
index e1d022b..cdb4fd5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/assistant.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/assistant.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export const WELCOME_MESSAGES: AssistantMessage[] = [
 export function summarizeQueryResults(response: QueryResponse): string {
   const { total, latency_ms, query, results } = response;
   if (total === 0) {
-    return `I searched your workspace memory for **"${query}"** but didn't find matching decisions yet. If you're on a fresh install, run \`make demo\` to seed example memories, or capture a decision with **Remember** via the API.`;
+    return `I searched your workspace memory for **"${query}"** but didn't find matching decisions yet. Connect your tools or capture a decision via **AI agents** to build organizational memory.`;
   }
 
   const top = results[0];