diff --git a/src/components/sidebar/tabs/AssetsSidebarTab.vue b/src/components/sidebar/tabs/AssetsSidebarTab.vue
index 5ffc7cd01..ec473ca4d 100644
--- a/src/components/sidebar/tabs/AssetsSidebarTab.vue
+++ b/src/components/sidebar/tabs/AssetsSidebarTab.vue
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
         />
       </div>
       <!-- Content -->
-      <div v-else class="relative size-full">
+      <div v-else class="relative size-full" @click="handleEmptySpaceClick">
         <VirtualGrid
           :items="mediaAssetsWithKey"
           :grid-style="{
@@ -97,32 +97,22 @@
     <template #footer>
       <div
         v-if="hasSelection"
-        class="flex h-18 w-full items-center justify-between px-4"
+        class="flex gap-1 h-18 w-full items-center justify-between"
       >
-        <div>
+        <div ref="selectionCountButtonRef" class="flex-1 pl-4">
           <TextButton
-            v-if="isHoveringSelectionCount"
-            :label="$t('mediaAsset.selection.deselectAll')"
+            :label="
+              isHoveringSelectionCount
+                ? $t('mediaAsset.selection.deselectAll')
+                : $t('mediaAsset.selection.selectedCount', {
+                    count: totalOutputCount
+                  })
+            "
             type="transparent"
             @click="handleDeselectAll"
-            @mouseleave="isHoveringSelectionCount = false"
           />
-          <span
-            v-else
-            role="button"
-            tabindex="0"
-            :aria-label="$t('mediaAsset.selection.deselectAll')"
-            class="cursor-pointer px-3 text-sm focus:ring-2 focus:ring-primary focus:outline-none"
-            @mouseenter="isHoveringSelectionCount = true"
-            @keydown.enter="handleDeselectAll"
-            @keydown.space.prevent="handleDeselectAll"
-          >
-            {{
-              $t('mediaAsset.selection.selectedCount', { count: selectedCount })
-            }}
-          </span>
         </div>
-        <div class="flex gap-2">
+        <div class="flex gap-2 pr-4">
           <IconTextButton
             v-if="shouldShowDeleteButton"
             :label="$t('mediaAsset.selection.deleteSelected')"
@@ -155,7 +145,7 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { useDebounceFn } from '@vueuse/core'
+import { useDebounceFn, useElementHover } from '@vueuse/core'
 import ProgressSpinner from 'primevue/progressspinner'
 import { useToast } from 'primevue/usetoast'
 import { computed, onMounted, onUnmounted, ref, watch } from 'vue'
@@ -223,7 +213,6 @@ const {
   isSelected,
   handleAssetClick,
   hasSelection,
-  selectedCount,
   clearSelection,
   getSelectedAssets,
   activate: activateSelection,
@@ -232,8 +221,15 @@ const {
 
 const { downloadMultipleAssets, deleteMultipleAssets } = useMediaAssetActions()
 
-// Hover state for selection count
-const isHoveringSelectionCount = ref(false)
+// Hover state for selection count button
+const selectionCountButtonRef = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+const isHoveringSelectionCount = useElementHover(selectionCountButtonRef)
+
+// Total output count for all selected assets
+const totalOutputCount = computed(() => {
+  const selectedAssets = getSelectedAssets(displayAssets.value)
+  return selectedAssets.reduce((sum, asset) => sum + getOutputCount(asset), 0)
+})
 
 const currentAssets = computed(() =>
   activeTab.value === 'input' ? inputAssets : outputAssets
@@ -400,7 +396,6 @@ const exitFolderView = () => {
   folderExecutionTime.value = undefined
   folderAssets.value = []
   searchQuery.value = ''
-  clearSelection()
 }
 
 onMounted(() => {
@@ -413,7 +408,12 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
 
 const handleDeselectAll = () => {
   clearSelection()
-  isHoveringSelectionCount.value = false
+}
+
+const handleEmptySpaceClick = () => {
+  if (hasSelection) {
+    clearSelection()
+  }
 }
 
 const copyJobId = async () => {
diff --git a/src/platform/assets/components/Media3DTop.vue b/src/platform/assets/components/Media3DTop.vue
index c3b9f96b4..121c442a6 100644
--- a/src/platform/assets/components/Media3DTop.vue
+++ b/src/platform/assets/components/Media3DTop.vue
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 <template>
   <div class="relative size-full overflow-hidden rounded">
     <div
-      class="flex size-full flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 bg-modal-card-placeholder-background text-base-foreground"
+      class="flex size-full flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 bg-modal-card-placeholder-background transition-transform duration-300 group-hover:scale-105 group-data-[selected=true]:scale-105"
     >
-      <i class="icon-[lucide--box] text-3xl" />
-      <span>{{ $t('assetBrowser.media.threeDModelPlaceholder') }}</span>
+      <i class="icon-[lucide--box] text-3xl text-base-foreground" />
+      <span class="text-base-foreground">{{
+        $t('assetBrowser.media.threeDModelPlaceholder')
+      }}</span>
     </div>
   </div>
 </template>
diff --git a/src/platform/assets/components/MediaAssetCard.vue b/src/platform/assets/components/MediaAssetCard.vue
index 42720f2e4..32299a1e4 100644
--- a/src/platform/assets/components/MediaAssetCard.vue
+++ b/src/platform/assets/components/MediaAssetCard.vue
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
     variant="ghost"
     rounded="lg"
     :class="containerClasses"
+    :data-selected="selected"
+    @click.stop
   >
     <template #top>
       <CardTop
@@ -247,10 +249,10 @@ provide(MediaAssetKey, {
 
 const containerClasses = computed(() =>
   cn(
-    'gap-1 select-none',
+    'gap-1 select-none group',
     selected
-      ? 'border-3 border-base-foreground bg-modal-card-background'
-      : 'hover:bg-modal-card-background/70'
+      ? 'ring-3 ring-inset ring-base-foreground bg-modal-card-background'
+      : 'hover:bg-modal-card-background'
   )
 )
 
diff --git a/src/platform/assets/components/MediaAudioTop.vue b/src/platform/assets/components/MediaAudioTop.vue
index ab38de8bf..2cad5da45 100644
--- a/src/platform/assets/components/MediaAudioTop.vue
+++ b/src/platform/assets/components/MediaAudioTop.vue
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 <template>
   <div class="relative size-full overflow-hidden rounded">
     <div
-      class="flex size-full flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 bg-modal-card-placeholder-background text-base-foreground"
+      class="flex size-full flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 bg-modal-card-placeholder-background transition-transform duration-300 group-hover:scale-105 group-data-[selected=true]:scale-105"
     >
-      <i class="icon-[lucide--music] text-3xl" />
-      <span>{{ $t('assetBrowser.media.audioPlaceholder') }}</span>
+      <i class="icon-[lucide--music] text-3xl text-base-foreground" />
+      <span class="text-base-foreground">{{
+        $t('assetBrowser.media.audioPlaceholder')
+      }}</span>
     </div>
     <audio
       controls
diff --git a/src/platform/assets/components/MediaImageTop.vue b/src/platform/assets/components/MediaImageTop.vue
index 1de9fe04d..dc065ce68 100644
--- a/src/platform/assets/components/MediaImageTop.vue
+++ b/src/platform/assets/components/MediaImageTop.vue
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@
       v-if="!error"
       :src="asset.src"
       :alt="asset.name"
-      class="size-full object-contain"
+      class="size-full object-contain transition-transform duration-300 group-hover:scale-105 group-data-[selected=true]:scale-105"
     />
     <div
       v-else
       class="flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-modal-card-placeholder-background"
     >
-      <i class="pi pi-image text-3xl text-smoke-400" />
+      <i class="pi pi-image text-3xl text-muted-foreground" />
     </div>
   </div>
 </template>
diff --git a/src/platform/assets/components/MediaVideoTop.vue b/src/platform/assets/components/MediaVideoTop.vue
index f02906c87..48670e748 100644
--- a/src/platform/assets/components/MediaVideoTop.vue
+++ b/src/platform/assets/components/MediaVideoTop.vue
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
       loop
       playsinline
       :poster="asset.preview_url"
-      class="relative size-full object-contain"
+      class="relative size-full object-contain transition-transform duration-300 group-hover:scale-105 group-data-[selected=true]:scale-105"
       @click.stop
       @play="onVideoPlay"
       @pause="onVideoPause"