patterns / null

Sort & Filter

Overview

A lengthy list of content may need a way to be controlled by the viewer to reveal wanted content by sorting it in a different order, or by filtering out unneeded items.


Sorting

Sorting is a method in which the set of content is arranged in a particular order. Commonly this could be alphabetically, or by date. A user might change the sort order to find particular content quickly or to line up content in a specific order to compare them.

  • The sort should not remove content from the set.
  • The default should use a non-active Filter Button.

Filter

A filter hides all content except the what matches the selected criteria. Common filters might be status, time frame, person assigned, category, etc. If a filter is off, that means all content is being shown.


Examples

Sort & Filter Combined

Sort and filter are powerful when they are combined as they allow the user to redisplay content exactly how they would like to view it.

A search field used in combination with sort and filter acts as a filter rather than as content discovery.

Table Row Selection

A selectable table should not allow sorting or filtering when an item is selected. The selection can easily be lost.