Recent Items

Return to recently opened projects, documents, dashboards, and records without searching for them again. The screen connects Recent and Projects so product teams can find the “Clear history” action while checking opened today and projects.

Use this reference when you need to design this workflow inside an existing product. The example includes practical records such as Enterprise permissions rollout and Q4 planning workspace, rather than an empty visual shell.

Recent Items
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Template facts

Screen

Table

Primary action

Clear history

Pattern

Table

State

Default, loading, empty, error, permission, success

Design system

Adaptable product UI theme

What this screen helps users do

Product teams need a clear “Clear history” action without losing sight of opened today, projects and the affected records. Keep the decision and its outcome clear before moving to the next task.

Key elements

  • Primary action: Clear history is clearly available where the task happens.
  • Main view: Recent keeps the starting point obvious.
  • Connected view: Projects supplies nearby context.
  • Metric: Opened today is visible with a meaningful value.
  • Another signal: Projects helps people judge what to do next.
  • Representative record: Enterprise permissions rollout makes the example specific.
  • Second record: Q4 planning workspace shows the pattern works beyond one item.

States worth designing

  • Empty filtered view; show what people can do instead of leaving a blank panel.
  • Loading recent without changing the layout unexpectedly.
  • Bulk action partly failed; explain the problem and preserve work.
  • Permission denied for projects; clarify who can continue.
  • Success after choosing Clear history; confirm the result and the next step.
  • Network or data refresh failure; offer a retry without losing context.

Where this screen sits in the flow

Recent → Projects → Clear history → Review outcome

Patterns used

Table, Recent, Projects, Docs, accessible states, contextual actions

Why these choices work

Show the columns people use to act, not every field at once. Keep sort and filter state when returning from a record.

In this design, people should be able to compare Enterprise permissions rollout with Q4 planning workspace. Make opened today clear, then use projects to explain whether the next step needs attention.

Before handing this to a designer or engineer, check keyboard focus, error copy, permissions and what happens after they choose the “Clear history” action. The happy path alone is not enough.

Related UI examples: Recommendation Feed, Favorites & Collections, Browse Categories.

Start from this in Figr

Design a recent items screen for our existing software product. Use our real design-system tokens, components and product language. Show Recent and Projects, include believable records such as Enterprise permissions rollout, and make clear history easy to find. Map loading, empty, failure, permission and success states before you create editable high-fidelity screens.

Open Figr