Filters that don’t lie
If you show filters, they must be honest: no fake categories, no dead ends, no UI that pretends to be smarter than it is.
Filters are a promise: the reader can narrow the list and still feel in control.
Bad filters feel like slot machines. You click around and the results look random.
In a demo, filtering should be small and visible. A few tags is enough.
The important part is feedback: what is active, and how to undo it.
If the list is small, do not pretend you are building a discovery engine.
Tags work best as labels first. They help scanning. Filtering is a bonus.
If the list changes, a tiny fade is enough. Big animated reshuffles just add noise.
Most of the time, the best filter is a well-written title and summary.
Consistency reads as intelligence because it reduces surprises.
Honesty beats complexity. Especially in a demo.