Empty States: Turning Dead Ends into Onboarding

An empty state occurs when a screen has no data to display (e.g., a brand-new project board, an empty favorites list, or a clean inbox).

The 3-Part Empty State Framework:

1. What belongs here? Briefly describe the purpose of the space ('No invoices yet').
2. Why is it empty? Explain why nothing is showing ('When you bill clients, your sent and paid invoices will appear here').
3. What should I do next? Provide a single, prominent primary button ('Create First Invoice').

An empty state is the prime moment of user intent; never leave it as a blank screen or a dry '0 items' label.