diff --git a/frontend/src/components/QuestionInput/QuestionInput.module.css b/frontend/src/components/QuestionInput/QuestionInput.module.css
index fa5542d541..17eac8ee1a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/QuestionInput/QuestionInput.module.css
+++ b/frontend/src/components/QuestionInput/QuestionInput.module.css
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+/* CUSTOM CSS PROPERTIES */
+:root {
+  --base-ink: #1c1d1f;
+  --primary-lightest: #e8f5ff;
+}
+
 .questionInputContainer {
   height: fit-content;
   position: absolute;
@@ -59,12 +65,6 @@
   }
 }
 
-.errorText {
-  top: -50px;
-  z-index: 1;
-  gap: 12px;
-}
-
 .textAreaOverrides {
   font-size: 16px !important;
 }
@@ -74,6 +74,18 @@
   align-items: center;
 }
 
+/* alert styling */
+
+.errorAlert {
+  top: -50px;
+  z-index: 1;
+  gap: 12px;
+}
+
+.alertCloseButton {
+  color: var(--base-ink) !important;
+}
+
 /* file input styling */
 
 .fileInputLabel {
@@ -86,12 +98,15 @@
 }
 
 .fileUploadPreviewsContainer {
-  background: pink;
-  width: 100%;
-  height: fit-content
+  height: fit-content;
 }
 
 .fileUploadPreview {
-  background: #E8F5FF;
+  height: 3rem;
+  border-radius: 0.25rem;
+  text-align: center;
+  justify-content:center;
+  display:inline-flex;
+  background: var(--primary-lightest) !important;
   text-overflow: ellipsis;
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/QuestionInput/QuestionInput.tsx b/frontend/src/components/QuestionInput/QuestionInput.tsx
index a12e712e52..7f90b643b1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/QuestionInput/QuestionInput.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/QuestionInput/QuestionInput.tsx
@@ -183,16 +183,27 @@ export const QuestionInput = ({ onSend, disabled, placeholder, clearOnSend, conv
     }
   }
 
-  const sendQuestionDisabled = disabled || !question.trim()
+  const formatFileName = (fileName: string) => {
+    if (fileName.length < 20) {
+      return fileName;
+    }
+
+    return `${fileName.substring(0,9)}...${fileName.substring(fileName.length - 9)}`
+  }
 
   return (
     <div className={`flex-wrap flex-column ${styles.questionInputContainer}`}>
       {inputError && (
         <div
-          className={`usa-alert usa-alert--error usa-alert--slim line-height-sans-5 width-full padding-y-0 position-absolute display-flex ${styles.errorText}`}>
+          className={`usa-alert usa-alert--error usa-alert--slim line-height-sans-5 width-full padding-y-0 position-absolute display-flex flex-justify ${styles.errorAlert}`}>
           <div className="usa-alert__body">
             <p className="usa-alert__text maxw-none">{inputError}</p>
           </div>
+          <button className={`usa-button usa-button--unstyled margin-right-1 ${styles.alertCloseButton}`} onClick={e => setInputError('')}>
+            <svg className="usa-icon" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img">
+              <use xlinkHref={icons + '#close'}></use>
+            </svg>
+          </button>
         </div>
       )}
       <textarea
@@ -202,15 +213,15 @@ export const QuestionInput = ({ onSend, disabled, placeholder, clearOnSend, conv
         onChange={e => setQuestion(e.target.value)}
         onKeyDown={onEnterPress}
         aria-label="Type a question"></textarea>
-      <div className={`display-flex ${styles.fileUploadPreviewsContainer}`}>
+      <div className={`display-flex margin-x-2 margin-bottom-05 ${styles.fileUploadPreviewsContainer}`}>
         {selectedFile && (
-          <div className={`usa-button ${styles.fileUploadPreview}`}>
+          <div className={`text-black flex-align-center padding-x-05 ${styles.fileUploadPreview}`}>
             <svg className="usa-icon margin-right-05" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img">
               <use xlinkHref={icons + '#image'}></use>
             </svg>
-            <p>{selectedFile.name}</p>
-            <button onClick={e => setSelectedFile(null)}>
-              <svg className="usa-icon margin-right-05" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img">
+            <p className={`margin-top-0`}>{formatFileName(selectedFile.name)}</p>
+            <button className={`usa-button usa-button--unstyled`} onClick={e => setSelectedFile(null)}>
+              <svg className="usa-icon" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img">
                 <use xlinkHref={icons + '#close'}></use>
               </svg>
             </button>
@@ -239,7 +250,7 @@ export const QuestionInput = ({ onSend, disabled, placeholder, clearOnSend, conv
           />
         </div>
         <div
-          className={`usa-button ${styles.questionInputSendButtonContainer}`}
+          className={`usa-button margin-right-0 ${styles.questionInputSendButtonContainer}`}
           role="button"
           tabIndex={0}
           aria-label="Ask question button"