diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/AnimationCard.test.tsx b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/AnimationCard.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63562fe73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/AnimationCard.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+
+import React, { act } from "react";
+import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { AnimationCard } from "./AnimationCard";
+import type { GsapAnimation } from "@hyperframes/core/gsap-parser";
+
+(globalThis as unknown as { IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT: boolean }).IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT = true;
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  document.body.innerHTML = "";
+});
+
+function baseAnimation(overrides: Partial<GsapAnimation> = {}): GsapAnimation {
+  return {
+    id: "anim-1",
+    method: "to",
+    position: 0.8,
+    duration: 1.2,
+    ease: "power2.out",
+    properties: { opacity: 1 },
+    ...overrides,
+  } as GsapAnimation;
+}
+
+const noop = () => {};
+
+describe("AnimationCard flat branch", () => {
+  it("renders a mint border-left and panel-token colors when flat", () => {
+    const host = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.append(host);
+    const root = createRoot(host);
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(
+        <AnimationCard
+          animation={baseAnimation()}
+          defaultExpanded={false}
+          flat
+          onUpdateProperty={noop}
+          onUpdateMeta={noop}
+          onDeleteAnimation={noop}
+          onAddProperty={noop}
+          onRemoveProperty={noop}
+        />,
+      );
+    });
+    const card = host.querySelector('[data-flat-effect-card="true"]');
+    expect(card).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(card?.className).toContain("border-panel-accent");
+    act(() => root.unmount());
+  });
+
+  it("still renders the legacy (non-flat) appearance when flat is omitted", () => {
+    const host = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.append(host);
+    const root = createRoot(host);
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(
+        <AnimationCard
+          animation={baseAnimation()}
+          defaultExpanded={false}
+          onUpdateProperty={noop}
+          onUpdateMeta={noop}
+          onDeleteAnimation={noop}
+          onAddProperty={noop}
+          onRemoveProperty={noop}
+        />,
+      );
+    });
+    expect(host.querySelector('[data-flat-effect-card="true"]')).toBeNull();
+    expect(host.textContent).toContain("power2.out");
+    act(() => root.unmount());
+  });
+
+  it("toggles expanded state when the collapsed header button is clicked, in both modes", () => {
+    for (const flat of [false, true]) {
+      const host = document.createElement("div");
+      document.body.append(host);
+      const root = createRoot(host);
+      act(() => {
+        root.render(
+          <AnimationCard
+            animation={baseAnimation()}
+            defaultExpanded={false}
+            flat={flat || undefined}
+            onUpdateProperty={noop}
+            onUpdateMeta={noop}
+            onDeleteAnimation={noop}
+            onAddProperty={noop}
+            onRemoveProperty={noop}
+          />,
+        );
+      });
+      expect(host.textContent).not.toContain("Remove");
+      const button = host.querySelector("button");
+      expect(button).not.toBeNull();
+      act(() => {
+        button?.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("click", { bubbles: true }));
+      });
+      expect(host.textContent).toContain("Remove");
+      act(() => root.unmount());
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("invokes onDeleteAnimation with the animation id when Remove is clicked, in flat mode", () => {
+    const onDeleteAnimation = vi.fn();
+    const host = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.append(host);
+    const root = createRoot(host);
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(
+        <AnimationCard
+          animation={baseAnimation()}
+          defaultExpanded={true}
+          flat
+          onUpdateProperty={noop}
+          onUpdateMeta={noop}
+          onDeleteAnimation={onDeleteAnimation}
+          onAddProperty={noop}
+          onRemoveProperty={noop}
+        />,
+      );
+    });
+    const buttons = Array.from(host.querySelectorAll("button"));
+    const removeButton = buttons.find((b) => b.textContent === "Remove");
+    expect(removeButton).not.toBeUndefined();
+    act(() => {
+      removeButton?.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("click", { bubbles: true }));
+    });
+    expect(onDeleteAnimation).toHaveBeenCalledWith("anim-1");
+    act(() => root.unmount());
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/AnimationCard.tsx b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/AnimationCard.tsx
index 0a0a327e7..97f8efa40 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/AnimationCard.tsx
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/AnimationCard.tsx
@@ -21,12 +21,14 @@ import {
 interface AnimationCardProps extends GsapAnimationEditCallbacks {
   animation: GsapAnimation;
   defaultExpanded: boolean;
+  flat?: boolean;
 }
 
 // fallow-ignore-next-line complexity
 export const AnimationCard = memo(function AnimationCard({
   animation,
   defaultExpanded,
+  flat,
   onUpdateProperty,
   onUpdateMeta,
   onDeleteAnimation,
@@ -150,7 +152,14 @@ export const AnimationCard = memo(function AnimationCard({
     );
 
   return (
-    <div className="border-b border-neutral-800 pb-3">
+    <div
+      data-flat-effect-card={flat ? "true" : undefined}
+      className={
+        flat
+          ? "border-b border-l-2 border-panel-accent/40 border-b-panel-hairline pb-3 pl-2"
+          : "border-b border-neutral-800 pb-3"
+      }
+    >
       <button
         type="button"
         onClick={() => setExpanded((v) => !v)}
@@ -162,13 +171,19 @@ export const AnimationCard = memo(function AnimationCard({
         >
           {methodLabel}
         </span>
-        <span className="text-[11px] font-medium text-neutral-400" title="When this effect plays">
+        <span
+          className={`text-[11px] font-medium ${flat ? "text-panel-text-3" : "text-neutral-400"}`}
+          title="When this effect plays"
+        >
           {typeof animation.position === "number"
             ? `${parseFloat(animation.position.toFixed(3))}s`
             : animation.position}{" "}
           – {typeof endTime === "number" ? `${parseFloat(endTime.toFixed(3))}s` : endTime}
         </span>
-        <span className="ml-auto text-[10px] text-neutral-500" title={easeName}>
+        <span
+          className={`ml-auto text-[10px] ${flat ? "text-panel-text-3" : "text-neutral-500"}`}
+          title={easeName}
+        >
           {easeLabel}
         </span>
         <svg
@@ -176,7 +191,7 @@ export const AnimationCard = memo(function AnimationCard({
           height="10"
           viewBox="0 0 10 10"
           fill="currentColor"
-          className={`flex-shrink-0 text-neutral-500 transition-transform ${expanded ? "" : "-rotate-90"}`}
+          className={`flex-shrink-0 transition-transform ${flat ? "text-panel-text-5" : "text-neutral-500"} ${expanded ? "" : "-rotate-90"}`}
         >
           <path d="M2 3l3 4 3-4z" />
         </svg>