Empty States Illustrations

I’ve never been great at drawing characters, but I accepted the design request anyway.

The idea came from a design leader who wanted our empty states to feel more human. Instead of blank screens, they wanted characters that could bring personality to the product.

I hadn’t drawn seriously since college, but I decided to give it a try.

The first character I created was inspired by Charlotte, the personified AI from one of CrowdStrike’s marketing campaigns. In the commercial she wore a red scarf, so I imagined my own version of her: glasses, the red scarf, and a softer visual style. I spent an entire Saturday working on it.

When I submitted it, the reaction surprised me. People loved it. It was one of those rare moments where a design immediately clicked. The design leader asked if I could create more.

But that’s where things got difficult.

I wasn’t a character illustrator. I struggled to recreate the same style across different poses or variations. I tried different versions of Charlotte — a male version, a bird version, even a robot. None of them captured the same feeling as the first one.

Eventually I stepped away from the task.

I knew I couldn’t consistently deliver what the team needed, and I wasn’t willing to spend months trying to become an illustrator when my goal was to grow as a product designer. The work remained unfinished, and no one else picked it up either.

For a while, it felt like I had let someone down.

Moving Forward

Later I moved to another team that focused more on product design, research, and solving business problems. That was the kind of work I wanted to do. I started leading more projects and thinking more about outcomes instead of visuals alone. But even with that progress, a small part of me still felt like I was proving myself.

One year working on IT automation.

Then everything changed.

The Layoff

I got laid off.

The meeting was brief. The design leader apologized in what felt like a webinar-style call. Then HR took over. Soon after that, my Slack disconnected. Email gone. VPN locked.

I had a feeling it might happen. I even prepared myself the night before. But knowing something is coming doesn’t make it easier.

I’m the sole income for my family. We have a one-year-old child, a mortgage, and a life built around stability. Suddenly everything felt uncertain.

I’m not here to blame anyone. Layoffs happen. Business decisions don’t always make sense from the outside. I know I worked hard, and the people I worked with knew it too.

Now I’m back in the job market, like many others right now. It’s tough out there. I’m updating my resume, reaching out to people, and applying wherever I can.

I’m not starting from zero. I’m starting after a fall. But I’ll stand up again. This is the first time I’ve been laid off. I lost the salary, the benefits, the title, and maybe a little bit of pride. But I haven’t lost who I am. Whatever comes next won’t be easy. But it will make me stronger.