When time is tight on a project, it’s easy to skip certain screens because they’re “not important”. But while these screens might only be seen by a user with a dodgy internet connection or someone who loads your app (or website) for the first time, they’re vital for ensuring your product has a good user experience. The list of screens I’m going to cover is going to be very familiar to anyone who’s ever had to create a product on a tight deadline!
- A splash screen
- An onboarding screen
- Empty states
- Skeleton loading screens
- No internet
- 404 pages
Yeah sure, without these screens your product will probably function fine. But what will the experience be like for your users on slow internet? How will your page look while it loads slowly? Are the users going to get any feedback that your page is indeed loading, just very slowly?
A splash screen
The splash screen is the very first screen that your users see when opening your app. It might only be displayed for a second, but its a fantastic way to keep your users occupied while your app is busy loading. Especially if your app has to check if the user is logged in before it can show a user anything.
We know that on mobile, every second matters when it comes to load times. By giving your users something to look at while things are getting setup, they’re less likely to abandon the app before it even fully opens.
Image from justinmind.com
Onboarding screens
Up next in the loading of your app comes your onboarding screens. Onboarding screens allow you to walk your user through certain key features of your product and help them to complete tasks like creating an account.
These screens should be nice and simple and don’t even have to be interactive! They just need to walk your user through what your product is about and prime them to complete any tasks you need them to do.
Its really easy to assume that your app won’t need an onboarding process because its “so simple” but that’s your own bias. Of course, the app you’re making seems simple, you’ve seen it grow from an idea on a post-it note to a full-blown product in development! But your users haven’t been through the same process you have. They’re coming to your app fresh as a daisy and don’t have the same knowledge you do. They *need* these screens in order to have a good initial user experience.
Empty states
Empty states are what you get when a user loads a page but the page has nothing to display. Think Google Drive or Dropbox when you’re looking inside an empty folder.
Brand new users are going to see a lot of empty states since they’ve only just started using your product and so, have no data to display!
You’ll also need empty states for anything which has a search function. Sometimes, users are going to search for something which doesn’t exist and they need to be told why there’s no results found.
Sketelon loading screens
When you’re building a new app or website, adding skeleton loading pages is one of those little touches that can make a big difference. Instead of leaving users staring at a blank screen or a spinning wheel while things load, skeleton screens give them a quick preview of what’s coming. It’s like saying, “Hang tight, we’re getting everything ready for you!” This not only makes the wait feel shorter, but it also helps people stay engaged and reassures them that the app is working just fine.
It’s a simple way to make your app feel faster, smoother, and more thoughtful. Plus, it shows users you care about their experience—even during those in-between moments. In a world where people expect things to happen instantly, keeping their attention is key. Skeleton loaders might seem small, but they go a long way in making your app feel more polished and user-friendly right from the start.
No internet
It’s not a guarantee that your users have an internet connection. We might think that everyone has mobile data or a WiFi connection but that just isn’t the case. There are multiple reasons why a person might not have an active internet connection and your app needs a way to handle that.
Chrome chooses to keep their users attention by providing them a game to play. While this doesn’t help their users to look up the web page they were looking for, it does keep their attention, provide some joy, and describe the error in an effective manner.
Your screen doesn’t have to be as fancy as this, but you do need to provide your users with an effective error message so they can take steps to remediate it.
404 pages
Designing a custom 404 page is a great way to turn a “whoops” moment into a positive experience. Instead of just showing a boring error message when someone lands on a broken link or mistyped URL, a well-designed 404 page can guide them back on track, and maybe even make them smile along the way. It’s a small detail that shows you care about your users, even when things don’t go quite as planned.
A good 404 page keeps people from getting frustrated or leaving your site altogether. You can add helpful links, a search bar, or even a little humor or personality to keep the vibe friendly and helpful. Whether it’s a clever message, a cute illustration, or just clear next steps, your 404 page is a chance to turn confusion into connection—and keep your users exploring instead of exiting.
Tripadvisor uses friendly language as a way to apologise to their users that the page can’t be found as well as providing them links back into their platform. They don’t want to lose the traffic because a page can’t be found so these links serve to push users down one of their workflows.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s the little moments—like splash screens, 404 pages, and error messages that often leave the biggest impressions. While they might seem like background details, these in-between pages are key to building a smooth, trustworthy, and enjoyable user experience. Thoughtfully designing them shows users that you’ve considered their journey from start to finish, even when things don’t go perfectly. Whether it’s guiding someone through an error, making a loading screen feel less like waiting, or softening the blow of a missing page, these designs add personality, clarity, and care.
Great UX isn’t just about the main features, it’s about how the whole experience feels, every step of the way.