Filters and Sorting: The Complete Design Guide

Course Curriculum

The Essential Roles of Filters and Sort (3 Lessons, 41 min)

• Course Overview & Downloads
• The Gatekeeper and the Organizer
• Better Filters & Sorting = Better Business Outcomes

Sorting: How You Organize Options (4 Lessons, 54 min)

• The Two Types of Sorting, and When to Use Which
• How the Default Sort State Influences First Impressions and Retention
• Sort Options: How Many and What to Call Them?
• Stop Burying Sort Controls

Filtering System Decisions: Before You Design a Single Screen (3 Lessons, 61 min)

• A Framework for Choosing Filter Categories and Values
• Filter Logic: OR, AND, plus What to Do When It Gets Complicated
• Static vs. Dynamic Filters: When to Use Which

Filtering Interface Decisions: Designing the Screens (5 Lessons, 69 min)

• The Wrong Input Control Can Break Your Filter Experience
• Where Filters Live on the Page (and Why It Matters)
• Feedback: How to Keep Users Oriented While They Filter
• When to Save Filters and When to Reset Them
• Sorting and Filtering that Work Together

Technical Considerations: Avoid Torturing Your Developers (4 Lessons, 55 min)

• The Questions You Should Be Asking Your Developers
• Avoid Spaghetti Prototypes
• Accessible Filters: What Breaks for Keyboard and Screen Reader Users
• Wrap Up