Signed-off-by: Matt Bruce <mbrucedogs@gmail.com>

BusinessCard/Resources/Localizable.xcstrings

@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@
           }
         }
       }
+    },
+    "+1 555 123 4567" : {
+
     },
     "Add a QR widget so your card is always one tap away." : {
       "localizations" : {
@@ -153,6 +156,9 @@
           }
         }
       }
+    },
+    "Example" : {
+
     },
     "Hold your phone near another device to share instantly. NFC setup is on the way." : {
       "localizations" : {
@@ -350,6 +356,9 @@
     },
     "Shared With" : {
 
+    },
+    "Tap \"New Card\" to create your first card" : {
+
     },
     "Tap to share" : {
       "localizations" : {
@@ -466,6 +475,21 @@
           }
         }
       }
+    },
+    "Your card will appear here" : {
+
+    },
+    "Your Company" : {
+
+    },
+    "Your Name" : {
+
+    },
+    "Your Role" : {
+
+    },
+    "your@email.com" : {
+
     }
   },
   "version" : "1.1"

BusinessCard/State/CardStore.swift

@@ -12,13 +12,6 @@ final class CardStore: BusinessCardProviding {
     init(modelContext: ModelContext) {
         self.modelContext = modelContext
         fetchCards()
-        
-        if cards.isEmpty {
-            BusinessCard.createSamples(in: modelContext)
-            saveContext()
-            fetchCards()
-        }
-        
         self.selectedCardID = cards.first(where: { $0.isDefault })?.id ?? cards.first?.id
         syncToWatch()
     }

BusinessCard/State/ContactsStore.swift

@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@ final class ContactsStore: ContactTracking {
     init(modelContext: ModelContext) {
         self.modelContext = modelContext
         fetchContacts()
-        
-        if contacts.isEmpty {
-            Contact.createSamples(in: modelContext)
-            saveContext()
-            fetchContacts()
-        }
     }
 
     func fetchContacts() {

BusinessCard/Views/CardCarouselView.swift

@@ -7,15 +7,18 @@ struct CardCarouselView: View {
 
     var body: some View {
         @Bindable var cardStore = appState.cardStore
+        let hasCards = !cardStore.cards.isEmpty
+        
         VStack(spacing: Design.Spacing.medium) {
             HStack {
-                Text("Create multiple business cards")
+                Text(hasCards ? "Create multiple business cards" : "Your card will appear here")
                     .font(.headline)
                     .bold()
                     .foregroundStyle(Color.Text.primary)
                 Spacer()
             }
 
+            if hasCards {
                 TabView(selection: $cardStore.selectedCardID) {
                     ForEach(cardStore.cards) { card in
                         BusinessCardView(card: card)
@@ -31,6 +34,10 @@ struct CardCarouselView: View {
                         cardStore.setDefaultCard(selected)
                     }
                 }
+            } else {
+                DemoCardView()
+                    .padding(.vertical, Design.Spacing.medium)
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -51,6 +58,93 @@ private struct CardDefaultToggleView: View {
     }
 }
 
+/// A demo card shown when the user has no cards yet.
+/// Displays placeholder content with an "Example" badge to prompt card creation.
+private struct DemoCardView: View {
+    var body: some View {
+        VStack(spacing: Design.Spacing.medium) {
+            VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: Design.Spacing.small) {
+                HStack(spacing: Design.Spacing.medium) {
+                    Circle()
+                        .fill(Color.AppText.inverted)
+                        .frame(width: Design.CardSize.avatarSize, height: Design.CardSize.avatarSize)
+                        .overlay(
+                            Image(systemName: "person.crop.circle")
+                                .foregroundStyle(Color.CardPalette.coral)
+                        )
+                    
+                    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: Design.Spacing.xxSmall) {
+                        Text("Your Name")
+                            .font(.headline)
+                            .bold()
+                            .foregroundStyle(Color.AppText.inverted)
+                        Text("Your Role")
+                            .font(.subheadline)
+                            .foregroundStyle(Color.AppText.inverted.opacity(Design.Opacity.almostFull))
+                        Text("Your Company")
+                            .font(.caption)
+                            .foregroundStyle(Color.AppText.inverted.opacity(Design.Opacity.medium))
+                    }
+                    
+                    Spacer(minLength: Design.Spacing.small)
+                    
+                    Text("Example")
+                        .font(.caption)
+                        .bold()
+                        .foregroundStyle(Color.AppText.inverted)
+                        .padding(.horizontal, Design.Spacing.small)
+                        .padding(.vertical, Design.Spacing.xxSmall)
+                        .background(Color.AppText.inverted.opacity(Design.Opacity.hint))
+                        .clipShape(.rect(cornerRadius: Design.CornerRadius.medium))
+                }
+                
+                Divider()
+                    .overlay(Color.AppText.inverted.opacity(Design.Opacity.medium))
+                
+                HStack(spacing: Design.Spacing.xSmall) {
+                    Image(systemName: "envelope")
+                        .font(.caption)
+                    Text("your@email.com")
+                        .font(.caption)
+                }
+                .foregroundStyle(Color.AppText.inverted.opacity(Design.Opacity.heavy))
+                
+                HStack(spacing: Design.Spacing.xSmall) {
+                    Image(systemName: "phone")
+                        .font(.caption)
+                    Text("+1 555 123 4567")
+                        .font(.caption)
+                }
+                .foregroundStyle(Color.AppText.inverted.opacity(Design.Opacity.heavy))
+            }
+            .padding(Design.Spacing.large)
+            .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
+            .background(
+                LinearGradient(
+                    colors: [Color.CardPalette.coral, Color.CardPalette.sand],
+                    startPoint: .topLeading,
+                    endPoint: .bottomTrailing
+                )
+            )
+            .clipShape(.rect(cornerRadius: Design.CornerRadius.xLarge))
+            .shadow(
+                color: Color.AppText.secondary.opacity(Design.Opacity.hint),
+                radius: Design.Shadow.radiusLarge,
+                x: Design.Shadow.offsetNone,
+                y: Design.Shadow.offsetMedium
+            )
+            .opacity(Design.Opacity.strong)
+            
+            Text("Tap \"New Card\" to create your first card")
+                .font(.caption)
+                .foregroundStyle(Color.AppText.secondary)
+        }
+        .accessibilityElement(children: .ignore)
+        .accessibilityLabel(String.localized("Example business card"))
+        .accessibilityHint(String.localized("Create a new card to replace this example"))
+    }
+}
+
 #Preview {
     CardCarouselView()
         .environment(AppState(modelContext: try! ModelContainer(for: BusinessCard.self, Contact.self).mainContext))

BusinessCard/Views/CardsHomeView.swift

@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ struct CardsHomeView: View {
                     CardCarouselView()
                     
                     HStack(spacing: Design.Spacing.medium) {
+                        if appState.cardStore.cards.isEmpty {
+                            PrimaryActionButton(
+                                title: String.localized("Create Card"),
+                                systemImage: "plus"
+                            ) {
+                                showingCreateCard = true
+                            }
+                        } else {
                             PrimaryActionButton(
                                 title: String.localized("Send my card"),
                                 systemImage: "paperplane.fill"
@@ -33,6 +41,7 @@ struct CardsHomeView: View {
                             .controlSize(.large)
                             .accessibilityHint(String.localized("Create a new business card"))
                         }
+                    }
                     
                     WidgetsCalloutView()
                 }

README.md

@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ BusinessCardTests/       # Unit tests
 - Share URLs are sample placeholders
 - Wallet/NFC flows are stubs with alerts only
 - Widget UI is a visual preview (not a WidgetKit extension)
-- First launch creates sample cards for demonstration
 
 ## Running