data-display-and-selection

Data Display and Selection

Complex data collections — products, files, users, orders, tasks — have no single correct view. Different tasks call for different views. Browsing benefits from grid; comparing details benefits from list or table; bulk management benefits from a dense table with mass actions. Give users the choice.

---

View Modes

Offer multiple views when the data has both visual and detailed dimensions.

View	Best for	When to default
Grid	Visual items: products, images, files, cards	When items are visually distinct and browsing is the primary task
List	Moderate detail: tasks, emails, articles	When a key piece of text or metadata drives selection
Table	Dense data: orders, reports, user management	When multiple columns of data must be compared

View toggle placement: top-right of the collection, adjacent to sort/filter controls. Use icon buttons with tooltips (grid, list, table). Persist the user's choice in localStorage.

[Filter ▾]  [Sort ▾]          [⊞ Grid]  [☰ List]  [⊟ Table]

On mobile, collapse to the view that works best for the content — grid for visual items, list for text. Do not offer a view toggle on small screens unless both views are genuinely usable.

---

Selection: Prefer Large Hit Areas

Checkboxes are small targets. Requiring users to hit a 16×16px checkbox to select a row is unnecessary friction — especially on touch devices.

Default: the entire row or card is the selection target.

• Click anywhere on the row → selects the row (background shifts, checkbox checks)
• The checkbox is a visual indicator of selection state, not the only way to select
• Keyboard: Space selects the focused row; Shift+click extends selection; Ctrl/Cmd+click toggles individual items

.row {
  cursor: pointer;
  background: var(--color-surface);
  transition: background 100ms ease-out;
}
.row:hover {
  background: var(--color-grey-50);
}
.row.selected {
  background: var(--color-primary-subtle); /* subtle brand tint */
}