diff --git a/src/components/UserProfile/SocialLinks.jsx b/src/components/UserProfile/SocialLinks.jsx
index e442952..33966a2 100644
--- a/src/components/UserProfile/SocialLinks.jsx
+++ b/src/components/UserProfile/SocialLinks.jsx
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { Input } from 'reactstrap';
-import { FontAwesomeIcon } from '@fortawesome/react-fontawesome';
-import { faPencilAlt } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons';
 
 import EditControls from './elements/EditControls';
 import EditableItemHeader from './elements/EditableItemHeader';
 import SwitchContent from './elements/SwitchContent';
+import EmptyContent from './elements/EmptyContent';
 
 
 class SocialLinks extends React.Component {
@@ -35,13 +34,13 @@ class SocialLinks extends React.Component {
       saveState,
     } = this.props;
 
-    if (socialLinks === null) return null;
-
     const socialLinksObj = {};
 
-    socialLinks.forEach(({ platform, socialLink }) => {
-      socialLinksObj[platform] = socialLink;
-    });
+    if (socialLinks !== null) {
+      socialLinks.forEach(({ platform, socialLink }) => {
+        socialLinksObj[platform] = socialLink;
+      });
+    }
 
 
     return (
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ class SocialLinks extends React.Component {
                 content="Social Links"
                 showEditButton
                 onClickEdit={() => onEdit('socialLinks')}
-                showVisibility={Boolean(socialLinks.length)}
+                showVisibility={Boolean(socialLinks && socialLinks.length)}
                 visibility="Everyone"
               />
               <ul className="list-unstyled">
@@ -93,14 +92,7 @@ class SocialLinks extends React.Component {
                       socialLinksObj[key] ? (
                         <a href={socialLinksObj[key]}>{name}</a>
                       ) : (
-                        <button
-                          className="btn btn-link btn-sm"
-                          tabIndex="0"
-                          onClick={() => onEdit('socialLinks')}
-                          onKeyDown={e => (e.key === 'Enter' ? onEdit('socialLinks') : null)}
-                        >
-                          <FontAwesomeIcon className="mr-2" icon={faPencilAlt} />{`Add ${name}`}
-                        </button>
+                        <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('socialLinks')}>Add {name}</EmptyContent>
                       )
                     }
                   </li>
@@ -108,6 +100,15 @@ class SocialLinks extends React.Component {
               </ul>
             </React.Fragment>
           ),
+          empty: (
+            <ul className="list-unstyled">
+              {this.props.platforms.map(({ key, name }) => (
+                <li key={key} className="mb-4">
+                  <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('socialLinks')}>Add {name}</EmptyContent>
+                </li>
+              ))}
+            </ul>
+          ),
           static: (
             <React.Fragment>
               <EditableItemHeader content="Social Links" />
diff --git a/src/components/UserProfile/elements/EmptyContent.jsx b/src/components/UserProfile/elements/EmptyContent.jsx
index e32ea55..8a381af 100644
--- a/src/components/UserProfile/elements/EmptyContent.jsx
+++ b/src/components/UserProfile/elements/EmptyContent.jsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 
 import { FontAwesomeIcon } from '@fortawesome/react-fontawesome';
-import { faPencilAlt } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons';
+import { faPlus } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons';
 
 function EmptyContent({ children, onClick, showPlusIcon }) {
   const onKeyDown = (e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter') onClick(); };
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ function EmptyContent({ children, onClick, showPlusIcon }) {
 
   return (
     <div {...props}>
-      {showPlusIcon ? <FontAwesomeIcon className="ml-1 mr-3" icon={faPencilAlt} /> : null}
+      {showPlusIcon ? <FontAwesomeIcon className="ml-1 mr-3" icon={faPlus} /> : null}
       {children}
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/src/components/UserProfile/elements/SwitchContent.jsx b/src/components/UserProfile/elements/SwitchContent.jsx
index c6d947d..a0a5c80 100644
--- a/src/components/UserProfile/elements/SwitchContent.jsx
+++ b/src/components/UserProfile/elements/SwitchContent.jsx
@@ -18,9 +18,21 @@ const onChildExit = (htmlNode) => {
 
 
 function SwitchContent({ expression, cases, className }) {
-  if (!cases[expression] && !cases.default) {
+  const getContent = (caseKey) => {
+    if (cases[caseKey]) {
+      if (typeof cases[caseKey] === 'string') {
+        return getContent(cases[caseKey]);
+      }
+      return React.cloneElement(cases[caseKey], { key: caseKey });
+    } else if (cases.default) {
+      if (typeof cases.default === 'string') {
+        return getContent(cases.default);
+      }
+      React.cloneElement(cases.default, { key: 'default' });
+    }
+
     return null;
-  }
+  };
 
   return (
     <TransitionReplace
@@ -28,7 +40,7 @@ function SwitchContent({ expression, cases, className }) {
       onChildEntered={onChildEntered}
       onChildExit={onChildExit}
     >
-      {expression ? React.cloneElement(cases[expression], { key: expression }) : React.cloneElement(cases.default, { key: 'default' })}
+      {getContent(expression)}
     </TransitionReplace>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/components/UserProfile/index.jsx b/src/components/UserProfile/index.jsx
index 293b185..f4438ce 100644
--- a/src/components/UserProfile/index.jsx
+++ b/src/components/UserProfile/index.jsx
@@ -89,9 +89,9 @@ class UserProfile extends React.Component {
       error,
     };
 
-
-    const getEditMode = (name) => {
+    const getMode = (name) => {
       if (name === this.props.currentlyEditingField) return 'editing';
+      if (!this.props[name] || !this.props[name].length) return 'empty';
       return 'editable';
     };
 
@@ -119,25 +119,25 @@ class UserProfile extends React.Component {
 
               <FullName
                 fullName={fullName}
-                editMode={getEditMode('fullName')}
+                editMode={getMode('fullName')}
                 {...commonProps}
               />
 
               <UserLocation
                 userLocation={userLocation}
-                editMode={getEditMode('userLocation')}
+                editMode={getMode('userLocation')}
                 {...commonProps}
               />
 
               <Education
                 education={education}
-                editMode={getEditMode('education')}
+                editMode={getMode('education')}
                 {...commonProps}
               />
 
               <SocialLinks
                 socialLinks={socialLinks}
-                editMode={getEditMode('socialLinks')}
+                editMode={getMode('socialLinks')}
                 {...commonProps}
               />
 
@@ -146,13 +146,13 @@ class UserProfile extends React.Component {
 
               <Bio
                 bio={bio}
-                editMode={getEditMode('bio')}
+                editMode={getMode('bio')}
                 {...commonProps}
               />
 
               <MyCertificates
                 certificates={certificates}
-                editMode={getEditMode('certificates')}
+                editMode={getMode('certificates')}
                 {...commonProps}
               />
 
@@ -193,15 +193,15 @@ UserProfile.defaultProps = {
   currentlyEditingField: null,
   saveState: null,
   error: null,
-  profileImage: 'https://source.unsplash.com/featured/200x200/?face',
-  fullName: 'Hermione Granger',
-  username: 'itslevioooosa20',
-  userLocation: 'London, UK',
+  profileImage: null,
+  fullName: null,
+  username: null,
+  userLocation: null,
   education: null,
   socialLinks: [],
-  aboutMe: 'These are some words about me and who I am as a person.',
-  bio: 'These are some words about me and who I am as a person.',
-  certificates: [{ title: 'Certificate 1' }, { title: 'Certificate 2' }, { title: 'Certificate 3' }],
+  aboutMe: null,
+  bio: null,
+  certificates: null,
   saveUserProfile: null,
 };
 
@@ -264,13 +264,12 @@ function FullName({
               showVisibility={Boolean(fullName)}
               visibility="Everyone"
             />
-            {fullName ? (
-              <h5>{fullName}</h5>
-            ) : (
-              <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('fullName')}>Add name</EmptyContent>
-            )}
+            <h5>{fullName}</h5>
           </React.Fragment>
         ),
+        empty: (
+          <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('fullName')}>Add name</EmptyContent>
+        ),
         static: (
           <React.Fragment>
             <EditableItemHeader content="Full Name" />
@@ -340,13 +339,12 @@ function UserLocation({
               showVisibility={Boolean(userLocation)}
               visibility="Everyone"
             />
-            {userLocation ? (
-              <h5>{ALL_COUNTRIES[userLocation]}</h5>
-            ) : (
-              <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('userLocation')}>Add location</EmptyContent>
-            )}
+            <h5>{ALL_COUNTRIES[userLocation]}</h5>
           </React.Fragment>
         ),
+        empty: (
+          <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('userLocation')}>Add location</EmptyContent>
+        ),
         static: (
           <React.Fragment>
             <EditableItemHeader content="Location" />
@@ -416,13 +414,12 @@ function Education({
               showVisibility={Boolean(education)}
               visibility="Everyone"
             />
-            {education ? (
-              <h5>{EDUCATION[education]}</h5>
-            ) : (
-              <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('education')}>Add education</EmptyContent>
-            )}
+            <h5>{EDUCATION[education]}</h5>
           </React.Fragment>
         ),
+        empty: (
+          <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('education')}>Add education</EmptyContent>
+        ),
         static: (
           <React.Fragment>
             <EditableItemHeader content="Education" />
@@ -487,13 +484,12 @@ function Bio({
               showVisibility={Boolean(bio)}
               visibility="Everyone"
             />
-            {bio ? (
-              <p className="lead">{bio}</p>
-            ) : (
-              <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('bio')}>Tell other learners a little about yourself...</EmptyContent>
-            )}
+            <p className="lead">{bio}</p>
           </React.Fragment>
         ),
+        empty: (
+          <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('bio')}>Add a short bio</EmptyContent>
+        ),
         static: (
           <React.Fragment>
             <EditableItemHeader content="About Me" />
@@ -526,9 +522,7 @@ function MyCertificates({
   saveState,
 }) {
   const renderCertificates = () => {
-    if (!certificates) {
-      return <EmptyContent onClick={() => onEdit('certificates')}>You don&quot;t have any certificates yet.</EmptyContent>;
-    }
+    if (!certificates) return null;
 
     return (
       <Row>
@@ -575,6 +569,11 @@ function MyCertificates({
             {renderCertificates()}
           </React.Fragment>
         ),
+        empty: (
+          <div>
+            You don’t have any certificates yet. Find a course.
+          </div>
+        ),
         static: (
           <React.Fragment>
             <EditableItemHeader content="My Certificates" />
diff --git a/src/containers/UserProfile/index.jsx b/src/containers/UserProfile/index.jsx
index 8283435..6971226 100644
--- a/src/containers/UserProfile/index.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/UserProfile/index.jsx
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ const mapStateToProps = state => ({
   currentlyEditingField: state.profile.currentlyEditingField,
   saveState: state.profile.saveState,
   error: state.profile.error,
-  bannerImage: 'https://source.unsplash.com/featured/1000x200/?colored,pattern',
   profileImage: state.userAccount.profileImage.imageUrlLarge,
   fullName: state.userAccount.name,
   username: state.userAccount.username,
@@ -19,8 +18,7 @@ const mapStateToProps = state => ({
   education: state.userAccount.levelOfEducation,
   socialLinks: state.userAccount.socialLinks,
   bio: state.userAccount.bio,
-  certificates: [{ title: 'Certificate 1' }, { title: 'Certificate 2' }, { title: 'Certificate 3' }],
-  courses: [{ title: 'Course ' }, { title: 'Course 2' }, { title: 'Course 3' }],
+  certificates: null,
 });
 
 export default connect(mapStateToProps, {