UX-Related Preferences and Questions Answered – Table Sorting

Context:

There are plenty of articles outlining “best practices” for table sorting UX. Yet even when those patterns are followed, users often hesitate or misinterpret what’s happening.

So let’s test it ourselves and put some real numbers behind it.

When viewing a table, you’ll often see a sorting icon next to a column header, usually an arrow. Depending on the data, sorting may include:

• Alphabetical (A–Z / Z–A)
• Recency (Newest–Oldest / Oldest–Newest)
• Size (Largest–Smallest / Smallest–Largest)

Question: Which treatment most clearly communicates the current sort order and how to change it?

Options(Required)

A. Separate up and down arrows, each acting as a distinct sort action.

B. Up and down arrows that open a dropdown to choose sort options.

C. A single arrow that toggles between up and down states.

D. Instead of arrows, the use of labels or characters to indicate sort order.