Build a useful investigation brief
Build the intersection matrix
List each filter alone, pair, and selected combination with result total, facet response, and empty-state copy. Include a valid narrow result and a known zero. Record selection order because a dynamic facet may change after each choice.
Trace the first dead end
Compare indexed attributes, availability, category scope, and filter application order. Check whether a bucket remains selectable after it becomes impossible. Test reset, chip removal, back navigation, and alternative values so the investigation covers recovery as well as counting.
Write the recovery brief
State the valid or incompatible boundary, the first selection that makes it empty, and the user-visible consequence. Recommend one compatibility experiment with an explicit empty-state pass condition. If the catalog cannot prove compatibility, call out the data gap rather than inventing a rule.
What to carry forward
The investigation is useful when the first impossible intersection and its recovery behavior are reproducible. Stop with a matrix, valid control, and bounded next experiment. Do not broaden results silently to avoid an empty state; preserve the person’s selected intent while explaining the boundary.
Technical background: W3C guidance.
Keep the decision with the work.
Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.
Create an account See the product workflow