itsual Table UX
Overview
Tables are workhorses for dense data. Good table UX balances information density with readability and makes common actions efficient.
When to Use
- Admin and operations interfaces
- Financial, inventory, or log data views
- Any multi-attribute comparison or bulk workflow
Core Practices
- Prioritize columns; support show/hide and reorder when needed
- Make sort and filter discoverable and persistent where helpful
- Align numbers and use consistent formatting
- Design row actions, bulk actions, and selection carefully
- Handle pagination, infinite scroll, or virtualization intentionally
- Provide empty, loading, and error states
Principles
- Scanability first — hierarchy within cells matters
- Don’t put every attribute in the default view
- Sticky headers and key columns help orientation
- Mobile tables often need a different pattern (cards, prioritization)
Verification
- Users can find and compare key attributes quickly
- Bulk actions are safe and understandable
- Density is appropriate for the primary job