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Presentation
Day 2 Wednesday, May 14th 2025-05-14 18:55:00 UTC (40 minutes)
Beyond empty: The art and science of designing substitute content

Let's challenge the paradoxical term “empty states”. The evolution of UX writing has transformed our approach to these interface moments, but should we stop now? Can we transcend conventional empty states to encompass everything from search results, filtering outcomes, access restrictions and everything that isn't the actual content the user expects to see?

The presentation will demonstrate why substitution can be a flexible framework, drawing parallels with real-world examples of product substitution. Discover how this approach enables better tone adjustment, context-specific messaging, and moves beyond patterns that don't always scale across different situations.

Key takeaways include practical strategies for creating effective substitute content through conversation mapping, research-backed insights on user behavior, and guidelines for adjusting verbosity based on context. The talk will conclude with specific techniques for avoiding content traps, managing the curse of knowledge, and ensuring that visual elements support the message.