We analyzed 11 examples of how Figma handles empty states across their product, spanning 4 different approaches: icon with headline and CTA, text-only message, illustration with CTA, modal overlay.
Figma — Home > Recents > Recently viewed
Recents page on Figma home dashboard showing no recently viewed files. The AI creation prompt bar is visible at the top, and the file browser area shows the empty state.
Figma — Trash > Files
Trash page showing no trashed files. A single line of text indicates the trash is empty.
Figma — Home > Global search dropdown
Global search dropdown on the Figma home dashboard showing no results for the query "search". A single line of text explains no matching results were found, with a link to see all results.
Figma — FigJam > Canvas (with suggestion panel)
FigJam canvas with a sticky note placed and the "Try FigJam for..." suggestion panel open in the bottom-left corner. The canvas is mostly empty with a single sticky note containing placeholder text.
Figma — Settings > Community
Settings modal open on the Community tab, prompting the user to create a public community profile. A smiley face icon is displayed above the headline.
Figma — Slides > Template search modal
Figma Slides template search modal showing no results for the search term "opositea". An illustration of a magnifying glass with a dashed selection area is shown above the no-results message.
Figma — Design editor > Empty canvas (tooltip popover)
Figma Design editor showing an empty canvas with a blue tooltip/popover explaining the difference between drafts and team files. Two action links are provided.
Figma — Home > Notifications dropdown
Notifications dropdown panel on the Figma home dashboard showing no notifications. The panel has All and Unread tabs with a settings gear icon.
Figma — Team > All projects
All projects page for a team on the free plan. Shows one existing project ("Team project" with 0 files) and an upsell card to upgrade for more projects.
Figma — Design editor > Assets search panel
Figma Design editor with the assets/resources search panel open on the canvas. The panel shows an empty search prompt with a magnifying glass icon and instructional text.
Figma — FigJam > New board (canvas)
New empty FigJam board showing the template picker overlay. Four template category cards are presented with illustrations, alongside a headline and a link to see more templates.