Getting empty spaces right in the most popular iOS apps

Giving the right feedback when something fails to happen in an app is just as important as showing content. Craig Dennis of Codrops has taken a look at what sits in the empty spaces of frequently used apps — the empty inbox of Sparrow, the failed page load of Safari, or the blank Favorites page of Dropbox. The first order of business is clarity: it should be easy to tell whether there’s been an error or if there’s simply nothing to show, a test that Apple’s default mail app fails. The message designers choose will also determine whether users are alarmed, confused, or reassured. For designers, it’s a guide to how different apps are perceived; for everyone else, it’s a look behind how the people who create your apps are thinking about putting you at ease.