UIUX Learning

The Four Kinds of Empty State

May 28, 2026 · 1 min read
Comparison mockups of three empty state types

Most empty states apologize. The good ones invite the user to do the next thing.

Prompt · v0 Generate onboarding empty state

Generate an empty state component for a project dashboard. Use a soft illustration, single primary CTA, friendly tone — no apologies, just an invitation to the next action.

Four kinds

  1. First-use — the user has just arrived; they need a starter cue.
  2. Cleared — the user finished everything; celebrate and offer the next step.
  3. Filtered — over-filtered; explain why it’s empty and offer to relax constraints.
  4. Error — something actually broke; show cause + retry path.