diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c8a6ce4..95e785c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "siteforge",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "2.10.5",
+  "version": "2.10.6",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite",
diff --git a/src/App.css b/src/App.css
index c9d8d93..2f226b3 100644
--- a/src/App.css
+++ b/src/App.css
@@ -4033,6 +4033,187 @@
   padding: 0;
 }
 
+/* ── Sign in / Create account (split layout) ── */
+.auth-page {
+  min-height: 70vh;
+  display: flex;
+  justify-content: center;
+  padding: clamp(2rem, 6vw, 4rem) 1.25rem;
+  background:
+    radial-gradient(ellipse at top, rgba(201, 168, 76, 0.12) 0%, transparent 55%),
+    var(--brand-black);
+}
+
+.auth-shell {
+  width: min(1000px, 100%);
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 5fr) minmax(0, 6fr);
+  align-items: start;
+  gap: clamp(1.5rem, 4vw, 3rem);
+}
+
+.auth-shell--single {
+  grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 520px);
+  justify-content: center;
+}
+
+.auth-aside {
+  padding: 1rem 0.5rem;
+}
+
+.auth-aside-title {
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-heading);
+  font-size: clamp(1.7rem, 3.4vw, 2.3rem);
+  line-height: 1.15;
+  color: var(--brand-warm-white);
+  margin: 0.4rem 0 1.5rem;
+}
+
+.auth-benefits {
+  list-style: none;
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 1.1rem;
+}
+
+.auth-benefits li {
+  display: flex;
+  gap: 0.9rem;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+}
+
+.auth-benefits li > span {
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  width: 2.4rem;
+  height: 2.4rem;
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: rgba(201, 168, 76, 0.12);
+  border: 1px solid rgba(201, 168, 76, 0.35);
+  font-size: 1.05rem;
+}
+
+.auth-benefits strong {
+  display: block;
+  color: var(--brand-warm-white);
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-heading);
+  font-size: 1.1rem;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  margin-bottom: 0.15rem;
+}
+
+.auth-benefits p {
+  margin: 0;
+  color: #b9aa86;
+  font-size: 0.95rem;
+  line-height: 1.55;
+}
+
+.auth-card {
+  background: #121212;
+  border: 1px solid rgba(201, 168, 76, 0.24);
+  border-radius: 16px;
+  box-shadow: 0 12px 48px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
+  padding: clamp(1.5rem, 4vw, 2.25rem);
+  text-align: left;
+}
+
+.auth-card h1 {
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-heading);
+  font-size: clamp(1.8rem, 4vw, 2.3rem);
+  color: var(--brand-warm-white);
+  margin: 0.2rem 0 0.75rem;
+}
+
+.auth-card p {
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-body);
+  color: var(--brand-muted);
+}
+
+.auth-card-eyebrow { margin: 0; }
+
+.auth-card .study-signup-form { margin-top: 0.5rem; }
+
+.auth-card .study-signup-actions { margin-top: 0.75rem; }
+
+.auth-card .study-signup-actions .btn-primary {
+  width: 100%;
+  justify-content: center;
+}
+
+.auth-password-wrap {
+  position: relative;
+  display: flex;
+}
+
+.auth-password-wrap input {
+  width: 100%;
+  padding-right: 4.5rem;
+}
+
+.auth-password-toggle {
+  position: absolute;
+  right: 0.35rem;
+  top: 50%;
+  transform: translateY(-50%);
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  color: var(--brand-gold);
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-body);
+  font-size: 0.78rem;
+  letter-spacing: 0.06em;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  padding: 0.4rem 0.6rem;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+.auth-switch {
+  margin: 1.1rem 0 0;
+  text-align: center;
+  font-size: 0.95rem;
+}
+
+.auth-link {
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  padding: 0;
+  color: var(--brand-gold);
+  font: inherit;
+  text-decoration: underline;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+.auth-footer-links {
+  margin: 1.5rem 0 0;
+  text-align: center;
+  font-size: 0.9rem;
+}
+
+.auth-footer-links a {
+  color: var(--brand-muted);
+  text-decoration: none;
+}
+
+.auth-footer-links a:hover {
+  color: var(--brand-warm-white);
+  text-decoration: underline;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 820px) {
+  .auth-shell {
+    grid-template-columns: 1fr;
+  }
+
+  /* Form first on phones; the benefits follow below it */
+  .auth-aside {
+    order: 2;
+  }
+}
+
 /* ── Study Signup Page ── */
 .study-signup-page-card {
   max-width: 680px;
diff --git a/src/studyPages.tsx b/src/studyPages.tsx
index 5d67d78..93ff50a 100644
--- a/src/studyPages.tsx
+++ b/src/studyPages.tsx
@@ -1130,6 +1130,7 @@ export function StudySignupPage() {
   const [resendStatus, setResendStatus] = useState<'idle' | 'sending' | 'sent'>('idle')
   // Forgot-password state
   const [forgotSent, setForgotSent] = useState(false)
+  const [showPassword, setShowPassword] = useState(false)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     readJson<StudyAuthStatusResponse>('/api/study-auth/status')
@@ -1215,10 +1216,38 @@ export function StudySignupPage() {
     }
   }, [email])
 
+  const showAside = !done && mode !== 'forgot' && !totpPendingToken
+
   return (
-    <main className="thanks-page" aria-label={mode === 'signup' ? 'Create account' : mode === 'forgot' ? 'Reset password' : 'Sign in'}>
-      <div className="thanks-card study-signup-page-card">
-        <p className="eyebrow">Free Student Account</p>
+    <main className="auth-page" aria-label={mode === 'signup' ? 'Create account' : mode === 'forgot' ? 'Reset password' : 'Sign in'}>
+      <div className={`auth-shell${showAside ? '' : ' auth-shell--single'}`}>
+        {showAside && (
+          <aside className="auth-aside" aria-label={mode === 'signup' ? 'Why create an account' : 'Welcome back'}>
+            {mode === 'signup' ? (
+              <>
+                <p className="eyebrow">Free Student Account</p>
+                <h2 className="auth-aside-title">Make every lesson your own.</h2>
+                <ul className="auth-benefits">
+                  <li><span aria-hidden="true">📝</span><div><strong>Notes on every lesson</strong><p>Up to 500 notes across all tracks, each holding about 2,000 words.</p></div></li>
+                  <li><span aria-hidden="true">✅</span><div><strong>Track your progress</strong><p>Pick up exactly where you left off, on any device.</p></div></li>
+                  <li><span aria-hidden="true">🔒</span><div><strong>Private to you</strong><p>Your notes are tied to your account. Nobody else can read them.</p></div></li>
+                  <li><span aria-hidden="true">⚡</span><div><strong>Free, no ads</strong><p>Just an email and password. You stay signed in for 30 days.</p></div></li>
+                </ul>
+              </>
+            ) : (
+              <>
+                <p className="eyebrow">Free Student Account</p>
+                <h2 className="auth-aside-title">Pick up where you left off.</h2>
+                <ul className="auth-benefits">
+                  <li><span aria-hidden="true">📝</span><div><strong>Your notes</strong><p>Every lesson note you've saved, waiting for you.</p></div></li>
+                  <li><span aria-hidden="true">✅</span><div><strong>Your progress</strong><p>Resume your studies right where you stopped.</p></div></li>
+                </ul>
+              </>
+            )}
+          </aside>
+        )}
+        <div className="auth-card">
+        <p className="eyebrow auth-card-eyebrow">{mode === 'signup' ? 'Create account' : mode === 'forgot' ? 'Account recovery' : 'Sign in'}</p>
         <h1>{mode === 'signup' ? 'Create Your Account' : mode === 'forgot' ? 'Reset Your Password' : 'Welcome Back'}</h1>
 
         {done ? (
@@ -1317,7 +1346,7 @@ export function StudySignupPage() {
           </div>
         ) : (
           <>
-            <div className="study-signup-form">
+            <form className="study-signup-form" noValidate onSubmit={e => { e.preventDefault(); void submit() }}>
               <label htmlFor="signup-email">Email</label>
               <input
                 id="signup-email"
@@ -1337,9 +1366,10 @@ export function StudySignupPage() {
               />
               {fieldErrors.email && <p className="study-signup-field-error">{fieldErrors.email}</p>}
               <label htmlFor="signup-password">Password</label>
+              <div className="auth-password-wrap">
               <input
                 id="signup-password"
-                type="password"
+                type={showPassword ? 'text' : 'password'}
                 value={password}
                 onChange={e => { setPassword(e.target.value); if (fieldErrors.password) setFieldErrors(prev => ({ ...prev, password: undefined })) }}
                 onBlur={() => {
@@ -1349,10 +1379,13 @@ export function StudySignupPage() {
                     setFieldErrors(prev => ({ ...prev, password: undefined }))
                   }
                 }}
-                placeholder="At least 8 characters"
+                placeholder={mode === 'signup' ? 'At least 8 characters' : 'Your password'}
                 autoComplete={mode === 'signup' ? 'new-password' : 'current-password'}
-                onKeyDown={e => e.key === 'Enter' && submit()}
               />
+              <button type="button" className="auth-password-toggle" aria-pressed={showPassword} onClick={() => setShowPassword(v => !v)}>
+                {showPassword ? 'Hide' : 'Show'}
+              </button>
+              </div>
               {fieldErrors.password && <p className="study-signup-field-error">{fieldErrors.password}</p>}
               {mode === 'login' && (
                 <button type="button" onClick={() => { setMode('forgot'); setMessage(''); setForgotSent(false) }} style={{ background: 'none', border: 'none', color: '#c9a84c', cursor: 'pointer', fontSize: '0.85rem', textDecoration: 'underline', padding: 0, textAlign: 'left', marginTop: '0.5rem', alignSelf: 'flex-start' }}>
@@ -1369,56 +1402,26 @@ export function StudySignupPage() {
                   <span>Send me updates from Verse by Verse with Nate. I can unsubscribe anytime.</span>
                 </label>
               )}
-              {message && <p className="study-signup-error">{message}</p>}
+              {message && <p className="study-signup-error" role="alert">{message}</p>}
               <div className="study-signup-actions">
-                <button type="button" className="btn-primary" disabled={busy} onClick={submit}>
+                <button type="submit" className="btn-primary" disabled={busy}>
                   {busy ? (mode === 'signup' ? 'Creating...' : 'Signing in...') : (mode === 'signup' ? 'Create Account' : 'Sign In')}
                 </button>
               </div>
-              <div className="study-signup-actions" style={{ marginTop: '1rem' }}>
-                {mode === 'login' && (
-                  <button type="button" className="btn-secondary" onClick={() => { setMode('signup'); setMessage('') }}>
-                    Don't have an account? Sign up here
-                  </button>
-                )}
-                {mode === 'signup' && (
-                  <button type="button" className="btn-secondary" onClick={() => { setMode('login'); setMessage('') }}>
-                    Already have an account? Sign in instead
-                  </button>
-                )}
-              </div>
-            </div>
+              <p className="auth-switch">
+                {mode === 'login' ? "Don't have an account? " : 'Already have an account? '}
+                <button type="button" className="auth-link" onClick={() => { setMode(mode === 'login' ? 'signup' : 'login'); setMessage('') }}>
+                  {mode === 'login' ? 'Sign up' : 'Sign in'}
+                </button>
+              </p>
+            </form>
 
-            {mode === 'signup' && (
-              <div className="study-signup-why-grid" style={{ marginTop: '2rem' }}>
-                <article className="study-signup-why-card">
-                  <p className="study-signup-why-icon" aria-hidden="true">📝</p>
-                  <h3>Notes on Every Lesson</h3>
-                  <p>Save your own notes per lesson — up to 500 notes across all tracks.</p>
-                </article>
-                <article className="study-signup-why-card">
-                  <p className="study-signup-why-icon" aria-hidden="true">📖</p>
-                  <h3>Space to Go Deep</h3>
-                  <p>Each note holds ~2,000 words so you can write as much as you need.</p>
-                </article>
-                <article className="study-signup-why-card">
-                  <p className="study-signup-why-icon" aria-hidden="true">🔒</p>
-                  <h3>Private to You</h3>
-                  <p>Your notes are tied to your account. Nobody else can read them.</p>
-                </article>
-                <article className="study-signup-why-card">
-                  <p className="study-signup-why-icon" aria-hidden="true">⚡</p>
-                  <h3>Free Forever</h3>
-                  <p>Just an email and password. No charge, no ads. Stay signed in 30 days.</p>
-                </article>
-              </div>
-            )}
           </>
         )}
 
-        <div className="study-signup-actions" style={{ marginTop: '1.5rem' }}>
-          <Link to="/study/account" className="btn-secondary">My Account</Link>
-          <Link to="/study" className="btn-secondary">Back to Studies</Link>
+        <p className="auth-footer-links">
+          <Link to="/study">← Back to Studies</Link>
+        </p>
         </div>
       </div>
     </main>