Error States & Empty States

Summary

Designing deliberately for what happens when something goes wrong or when there's no content yet — often neglected, but a significant part of the real user experience of any product.

• 1Design an error state for a form submission failure with a clear, actionable message.
• 2Design an empty state (e.g. no search results, no items yet) that guides the user toward their next step.
• 3Learn why these states are just as much a design responsibility as the 'happy path' screens.