Empty State Design - Meaning & Importance.

Empty State - Mobile Version

Empty states are what users see when there is no information displayed on the mobile or web screen. In summary, these are screens with little or no content on them depending on the situation, and examples of the situations are:

• 404 errors 
• Empty email inboxes 
• Empty checkout cart 
• Connection issues 
• The user has only just signed up
• Getting no results when you make searches 

There are other situations that can also be placed as empty states but the most important thing is for these pages to be as engaging as possible. 

Empty states are very important in UX Design but are often overlooked by designers that find them as non-essential screens that do not need attention. Designing an empty state is very useful to user experience and adds great value to products and services. 

 

Empty State - Web Version

As a designer, creating empty states is a great opportunity to let the users know what is happening, why it’s happening, and what to do about it, this helps to drive engagements and motivate users to keep using the product. 

Best Practices for Designing Empty States.

Here are how you can make your empty states beneficial and enhance user experience to help them achieve their goals.

1. Empathize with the users: Something as "unimportant" as an empty state that is poorly designed can cause confusion and frustrations which can lead to a high abandonment rate of the product. Also, adding engaging visuals is a great way to connect with your users and give them a personalized experience.

2. Deliver helpful messages: Empty states are used to guide users, it is important to deliver helpful messages in a humorous or empathetic tone to help them visualize what is going on and show them that you understand their plight.

3. Create a great CTA: Without a clear and actionable CTA, users can easily get lost or confused which can drive them away from using the product. The average app loses 71% of users after 3 days. Within 30 days, 90%  leave. Within 3 months, 90% are gone. Concise and actionable CTAs give users a sense of direction and encouragement to interact with the product.

Conclusion

It is important as a UX designer to take the task of designing an empty state seriously because this can produce great business benefits, and user experiences.