Overview
How might we help people start when a blank composer gives no hint of what the assistant can actually do?
When to use
- General assistants and chat products where new users face a single blank input with no context.
- Multi-purpose tools where the range of useful requests is not obvious from the interface alone.
- ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini all show concrete starter prompts on a fresh chat.
- Products with several distinct use cases, where naming them beats a generic greeting.
When to skip
- Returning power users who already have a clear task; static starters become visual clutter after the first session.
- Highly specialized tools where generic starters cannot represent the narrow, expert-level queries the product expects.
- Interfaces where the input itself already has strong placeholder text doing the same job.
States
Design the first five seconds of a new chat, not only the placeholder copy in the composer.
- 01
Empty
A new chat opens with no messages. A headline and a small set of starter options are visible.
- 02
Considering
The person scans the starters or ignores them entirely to type a request of their own.
- 03
Filled
Tapping a starter drops its prompt into the composer so the person can edit before sending.
- 04
Sent
The prompt goes to the assistant as a normal user turn, edited or not.
- 05
Answered
The first reply lands. The empty state is gone and a normal thread replaces it.
Key UX elements
The parts that must be present for starters to earn their place on an empty screen.
Headline
State the assistant purpose in one line.
Name what the assistant is for, not a generic greeting. Skip this row for narrow single-purpose tools.
Starters
Offer 3 to 4 scannable task labels.
Short labels like Plan a trip beat a wall of prefilled constraints. Specifics belong in the thread after send.
Composer
Keep the input visible below the starters.
Starters supplement the composer. Someone who ignores every option must still be able to type freely.
Fill
Drop a short prompt into the composer, not a long brief.
A simple opener is enough. Clarifying questions in the first reply gather destination, tone, or constraints.
Dismiss
Let typing replace the starters without friction.
Once the person sends a first message, starters should not resurface and compete with the thread.
Rules
The same four starters shown to every user regardless of their role or prior usage.
Starters that showcase capabilities the product cannot actually deliver well yet.
No way to dismiss or refresh starters, so they persist as noise once a user is experienced.
Vague starters like "Ask me anything" that do not model good prompting behavior.
Evidence
| Product | Implementation |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Rotating example prompts appear on the empty new-chat screen. |
| Claude | Suggested prompts on first load model different task categories the assistant handles. |
| Notion AI | Empty-state suggestions demonstrate writing, summarizing, and brainstorming actions. |
| Google Gemini | Starter cards on the home screen surface varied use cases at first launch. |
