Grouping Pattern for Data Grid

[kkurstak]

Description

The “Group by” feature in the EUI data grid organizes large datasets by selected categories, allowing users to view each group in separate data sections. This pattern improves clarity and usability, making data-heavy tables easier to navigate and analyze.

Main document:

[WIP 🚧] [UX Guidelines] Grouping Pattern for Data Grids

Related files

• Grouping pattern Figma - Security library
• Video overview - Security
• SLOs/SLIs Figma - Observability

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Design System work request template

What would you like to see added or updated in the design system?

• Key output of this work: A flexible design pattern for grouping and displaying data in the EUI data grid.
• Add guidelines for multi-step form flows: Please see main document.

How will this be applied? Where do issues exist today?

The grouping pattern will be established as the standard for all future iterations of existing data grids and any new developments. At present, multiple versions of the feature are implemented across our products, making it challenging to achieve a unified UI.

Which projects or areas of our products will be impacted?

The “Group By” feature was initially designed and implemented in the Security solution (Alerts, Findings) and later adapted for use in Observability (Alerts, SLOs, Inventory).

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Target deliverables

The deliverables section will be completed by the Design System team during backlog grooming

[yanwalton]

Hi @kkurstak and @kyrspl - what are the next steps here?

[kkurstak]

Hi @yanwalton,

Apologies for the lack of recent updates - here’s a recap of the progress and key developments regarding this initiative:

We presented our initiative to the Patterns Working Group this week, where there was consensus that the “Group By” feature is essential - not only for current use cases but also for future ones (both in Observability and Security, but also in Search).

However, ownership of this task has not been clearly defined, as we were unable to get a definitive answer during the discussion. We agreed this requires further consultation with developers and between the EUI and Shared UX teams.

Our next steps:

In mid-January, we will meet with Jason Stoltzfus, developers from Observability and Security, and Michael DeFazio for a working session focused on defining the scope of the initiative.

The expected outcomes of this meeting are:

1. To define the initial scope for implementation: What needs to be done.
2. To clarify ownership: Who will take (or not) on the task.
3. To establish a timeline: When this will happen (approximately).

In the event the initiative encounters a lack of progression, we will ensure clear reasons are identified and communicated.

This Slack thread is where I update the status most often.

Please let me know if you have any feedback or questions. If there’s anyone else we should include in the upcoming meeting, I’d truly appreciate guidance!

Regarding this ticket - we created it based on our best understanding. If you recommend changing its status or moving it to another board, let me know.

Thank you :)

[JasonStoltz]

Hey @kkurstak,

Thank you for raising this! We're looking forward to the meeting in January. It sounds like we'll have the right people in the room to make some decisions.

We on the EUI team can do some pre-work and technical exploration in advance so we're armed with all the information we need when we meet.

Quick question, are there any hard deadlines or targets associated with this? I want to make sure we're not blocking anyone in the meantime.

I appreciate the thorough spec you put together. Thank you for doing that, it is extremely helpful.

[kkurstak]

@JasonStoltz – There are no hard deadlines at the moment. We’ve been working on the new Inventory table for Observability which uses the 'group by' functionality in a bit of a "kacky" way (meaning - not using the plug in provided by Security), but the project is currently on hold pending a strategic decision about its future.

Anything I could do to further support this effort - let me know. And thank you!