How to Design UI Tables

What are tables?

UI tables display information in a grid of rows and columns. They must be organized meaningfully to be effective so users can quickly gain insights or identify patterns. Interactivity is key—allowing users to customize the data enhances usability. Above all, UI tables should be intuitive and easy to navigate.

Anatomy of a table

The anatomy of a table consists of:

• Basic elements: Columns labeled with headers and rows containing data for individual entries.

• Interactive elements: Features like checkboxes, sorting options, icons, and pagination that enhance usability.

Suggested specifications

When designing UI tables, follow these specifications:

• Touch targets: The minimum size for touch interfaces is 48×48, but touch targets can extend beyond the element’s bounds.

• Cell padding: Minimize padding to increase content density, especially when working with large datasets.

• Rounded corners: Subtly round corners to create a card-like appearance.

• Number alignment: Always right-align numbers to improve scannability and usability.

Columns

When designing columns for UI tables:

• Header text: Ensure column headers are visually distinct for clarity.

• Sorting: Enable sorting for columns if it makes sense for the data type.

• Truncated text: Use hover interactions to reveal truncated text.

• Avoid horizontal scrolling: Design tables to minimize the need for horizontal scrolling.

• Padding: Apply 16dp padding to each side of a column, resulting in 32dp spacing between columns.

Rows

When designing rows for UI tables:

• Row height: Set row heights between 40-56dp for optimal readability.

• Selection states: Use a distinct background color for selected rows that differ from the hover state.

• Focus states: Define clear focus states for keyboard navigation.

• Visual separation: Use lines, colors, or whitespace to separate rows visually. Remember that less is more in most cases.

Inline menus

Inline menus in UI tables are embedded directly within cells to ensure discoverability and intuitive interactivity. They allow users to select from a predefined set of options. Depending on the complexity, you can:

• Open as an overlay: Display options in a dropdown or modal.

• Enable expansion: Allow further expanding of rows or menu items when necessary.

Expandable rows can further enhance usability, especially for dense datasets.

Pagination

Pagination in UI tables serves to indicate that more content is available and provides access to additional pages. To design effective pagination:

• Row control: Allow users to adjust the number of rows displayed per page.

• Current view: Clearly indicate which rows are currently visible.

• Navigation: Enable easy navigation between pages, such as with next/previous buttons or a page number input.

This approach ensures users can explore large datasets efficiently and intuitively.

Conclusion

Designing effective UI tables is all about balancing functionality and clarity. You can make tables that are user-friendly and attractive. To do this, understand their anatomy, optimize the columns and rows, and use intuitive elements like inline menus and pagination. Use these tips to ensure your UI tables deliver data in a way that’s easy to digest, interact with, and navigate.

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