Image placeholder

An image placeholder marks where an image will go before the real one is ready. A gray box with a simple mountain-and-sun symbol is the most familiar version.

Designers use placeholders in wireframes and early prototypes, so the layout can be judged before final images exist. Apps also show them while real images are still loading.

Keep the placeholder the same size and shape as the final image, so the page does not jump when the real image arrives.