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ux-empty-states

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Design or critique empty states — first-use screens, cleared states, no-results pages, and 404s that explain why the screen is empty and guide the next action instead of dead-ending. Trigger when the user asks to design or review an empty state, blank screen, zero-data view, first-run dashboard, no-results page, or 404 page.

ux/screens/empty-states/SKILL.md

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Last checked
Nov 11, 2026

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Jul 2, 2026
License
MIT

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# Empty States Skill

## How this skill behaves (read first)

This is a **generative** skill. The default failure mode is the **dead screen**: "No tasks found." — a blank dead-end at exactly the moment a user is newest, most confused, or most blocked. Every empty state is secretly one of the product's highest-leverage screens: it's onboarding (first use), reassurance (cleared), or recovery (no results / 404). The opposite failure exists too — an "empty" screen so stuffed with text, illustration, and three CTAs that it's no longer calm. This skill gates:

1. **Establish why the screen is empty** — the cause picks the pattern.
2. **Apply the always-true core** — explain + guide, never blame, stay calm.
3. **Surface the embellishment decisions** (illustration, CTAs, humor) with trade-offs.

Then it **hands off to `ux-heuristics-audit`, `ux-accessibility-audit`, `ux-aesthetics-audit`, and `ux-microcopy-audit`** for validation.

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