Asana has a lot to teach its users and is also aware that too many tooltips can be repetitive and exhaustive for this specific tool and interface. Instead, Asana makes use of empty states to explain what needs to be done on a certain page or part of the tool, like in this example that takes place in the project workflow section.

Why it’s great:

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✅ Less intrusive onboarding - becase there are no tooltips or modals, user frustration is kept to a minimum and they actually get to work around the tool by themselves.

✅ Good copy - The empty states have some really good copy, for example “start building your workflow in two minutes” is a powerful thing to say. It does not command but simply proposes a possibility, a good possibility too.

✅ Gives users a sense of ability - The lack of tooltips and enabling copy consequently creates an environment for the users that puts the spotlight on their abilities to implement a feature themselves instead of their ability to follow orders a tooltip gives them.

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