How small hull changes could improve Vanguard

What was wrong with Vanguard's hull design, and how might it have been improved?

A somewhat longer and broader hull could improve speed, cruising range, and stability as a firing platform.

The critique focuses on hull proportions rather than appearance alone. A contemporary study is cited as suggesting that roughly fourteen extra feet of length and a foot and a half of beam could have improved the design. Those modest changes are credited with about two additional knots and roughly a thousand nautical miles of range using the same fuel capacity. The altered proportions would also have made Vanguard's movement under gunfire more predictable, improving the platform rather than merely changing its looks. A later comparison with HMS Hood argues that Vanguard's denser battleship construction and the longer, broader form could also improve turning behaviour.