Starring a party: four ways

A star keeps a party you use often easy to find. Today the star is a small grey icon beside the name, and a starred row jumps to the top at once. Below are three other ways. Each one has a working copy of the Parties table you can try with the mouse or the keys. The table already has the new Year column, centred numbers and the new Status words.

Keys in every working copy

  • ↑↓ move between parties
  • S star or unstar the party you are on
  • Enter open the party
  • Click a row first to start using the keys.

Colours in the pictures

  • the party I am on
  • the party I just starred
  • a group label
  • ✕ a confusing result

Status words (no pills)

    Today

    Star beside the name, row jumps

    Rule: a small star sits beside each name; when I star a party, its row jumps to the top of the table at once.

    Step by step
    Key numbers
    Instant jump
    The row leaves my place with no movement to follow
    No extra space
    The star shares the name cell
    Small grey star
    About 14 px, grey until starred

    Good

    • Starred parties are always at the top.
    • Takes no space.

    Bad

    • The row vanishes from where I was looking; another party takes its place.
    • Nothing says why the order changed.
    • The grey star is easy to miss.
    Try it
    Option A · Recommended

    Star column and a Starred group

    Rule: every row starts with a star; starred parties sit under a “Starred” label at the top, and a starred row slides up there so I can see where it went.

    Step by step
    Key numbers
    Slides in 0.3 s
    Then glows for about 1.5 s, and my place moves with it
    1 narrow column
    About 40 px wide, plus 2 small group labels
    Always visible
    Every row shows its star in the same place

    Good

    • One table, as today; starred parties still lead.
    • The labels say why a party is at the top.
    • I can watch the row move, and stay on it.
    • The star is in one clear place on every row.

    Bad

    • Rows still move when I star (but slowly, and labelled).
    • Takes one narrow column of width.
    Try it
    Option B

    Favourites bar

    Rule: starred parties show as small cards above the table, each with its own number key; the table itself never changes order.

    Step by step
    Key numbers
    Nothing moves
    The table stays A to Z
    1 key to open
    Keys 1 to 9 open the first nine starred parties
    About 66 px
    Height of the card strip above the table

    Good

    • No row ever moves under me.
    • Fastest way to open a starred party.
    • Cards show the year and status at a glance.

    Bad

    • The same party shows twice (card and row).
    • Uses height above the table; many stars make a long strip.
    • Starred rows in the table look like any other row.
    Try it — press 1–9 too
    Option C

    Starred tab, nothing moves

    Rule: a switch above the table shows either my starred parties or all parties; starring only fills the star, and no row moves.

    Step by step
    Key numbers
    Nothing moves
    Starring only fills the star
    1 click to switch
    Between Starred and All
    Starred first
    The page opens on Starred when there is one

    Good

    • Calm: rows never move.
    • A short list of only the parties I use.

    Bad

    • Other parties are one switch away; a search may look empty because I am on Starred.
    • In All, starred parties are not at the top.
    • One more control to learn.
    Try it
    Recommendation

    Choose A: star column and a Starred group

    A fixes what feels wrong today without changing how the page works. The star gets its own clear column, the “Starred” label explains why those parties are at the top, and the row slides there instead of vanishing, with my place following it. It is still one table, so search, sorting and the keys work as before.