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UX/UI Design vocabulary · UI Elements and Patterns

Empty state

Meaning in UX/UI design, with examples

nounCommon term

In UX/UI design, empty state means: What a screen shows when there is no content yet, such as an empty inbox, a search with no results or a new account with no projects.

In Turkish: boş durum, boş durum ekranı

How it is used

A good empty state explains what will appear there and offers a clear next step ('Create your first project'), often with a small illustration. It is easy to forget during design, so reviewers often ask for it.

Example sentences

  1. The empty state on the favourites page just says 'No items', which isn't very helpful.

  2. Design the empty state too, because every new user sees it first.

Common collocations

  • design the empty state
  • empty state illustration
  • helpful empty state
  • zero-results state
  • onboardingThe first steps that welcome new users and help them understand a product, set it up and reach their first success with it.
  • edge caseAn unusual situation that happens rarely but must still work, such as a very long name, no internet connection or a user with 500 saved items.
  • error messageText that tells users something has gone wrong, ideally explaining what happened and how to fix it, for example next to a form field.
  • microcopyThe short pieces of text in an interface, such as button labels, hints, error messages and confirmations, that guide users through a task.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: UI Elements and Patterns

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