diff --git a/pephub/routers/api/v1/project.py b/pephub/routers/api/v1/project.py
index 1a2a6dc8..628eecad 100644
--- a/pephub/routers/api/v1/project.py
+++ b/pephub/routers/api/v1/project.py
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ async def create_view_of_the_project(
         _LOGGER.error(f"Could not create view. Error: {e}")
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=409,
-            detail="Could not create view",
+            detail="This view already exists in the project.",
         )
     return JSONResponse(
         content={
diff --git a/web/src/components/modals/add-view-options.tsx b/web/src/components/modals/add-view-options.tsx
index c075064b..c58baaff 100644
--- a/web/src/components/modals/add-view-options.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/modals/add-view-options.tsx
@@ -81,7 +81,11 @@ export const ViewOptionsModal = (props: Props) => {
       noFail: false,
     };
 
-    viewMutations.addViewMutation.mutate(createViewRequest);
+    viewMutations.addViewMutation.mutate(createViewRequest, {
+      onSuccess: () => {
+        onHide();
+      },
+    });
 
     resetForm({}, { keepValues: false });
   };
@@ -95,13 +99,13 @@ export const ViewOptionsModal = (props: Props) => {
         {filteredSamples ? (
           <div className="">
             <h6 className="mb-1">Save View</h6>
-            <p className="mb-3 text-xs">
+            <p className="mb-3">
               Save the current filtered sample table state as a view by providing a name (required) and description
               (optional) for the view.
             </p>
             <form>
               <div className="input-group mb-2">
-                <span className="input-group-text text-xs">Name</span>
+                <span className="input-group-text">Name</span>
                 <input
                   {...register('name', {
                     required: {
@@ -113,20 +117,19 @@ export const ViewOptionsModal = (props: Props) => {
                       message: "View Name must contain only alphanumeric characters, '-', or '_'.",
                     },
                   })}
-                  placeholder="..."
                   type="text"
-                  className="form-control text-xs"
+                  className="form-control"
                   id="view-name"
                   aria-describedby="view-name-help"
                 />
               </div>
-              <div className="input-group">
-                <span className="input-group-text text-xs">Description</span>
-                <input
+              <div className="mt-1">
+                <label htmlFor="view-description" className="form-label fw-bold">
+                  Description
+                </label>
+                <textarea
                   {...register('description')}
-                  placeholder="..."
-                  type="text"
-                  className="form-control text-xs"
+                  className="form-control"
                   id="view-description"
                   aria-describedby="view-description-help"
                 />
@@ -134,17 +137,24 @@ export const ViewOptionsModal = (props: Props) => {
               <ErrorMessage
                 errors={errors}
                 name="name"
-                render={({ message }) => (message ? <p className="text-danger text-xs pt-1 mb-0">{message}</p> : null)}
+                render={({ message }) => (message ? <p className="text-danger pt-1 mb-0">{message}</p> : null)}
               />
               <button
-                disabled={!isValid || !!errors.name?.message}
+                disabled={
+                  filteredSamples.length === 0 ||
+                  !isValid ||
+                  !!errors.name?.message ||
+                  viewMutations.addViewMutation.isPending
+                }
                 type="button"
-                className="btn btn-success px-2 mt-3 text-xs"
+                className="btn btn-success px-2 mt-3"
                 onClick={() => {
                   onSubmit();
+                  resetForm();
                 }}
               >
-                <i className="bi bi-plus-lg"></i> Save New View
+                <i className="bi bi-plus-circle me-1"></i>
+                {viewMutations.addViewMutation.isPending ? 'Creating...' : 'Create'}
               </button>
             </form>
             <hr />
@@ -152,7 +162,7 @@ export const ViewOptionsModal = (props: Props) => {
         ) : null}
         <div className="">
           <h6 className="mb-1">Remove View</h6>
-          <p className="mb-3 text-xs">Remove an existing view by selecting it from the dropdown menu.</p>
+          <p className="mb-3">Remove an existing view by selecting it from the dropdown menu.</p>
           <ReactSelect
             styles={{
               control: (provided) => ({
@@ -198,8 +208,12 @@ export const ViewOptionsModal = (props: Props) => {
                   }
             }
           />
-          <button disabled={deleteState} onClick={handleDeleteView} className="btn btn-danger px-2 mt-3 text-xs">
-            <i className="bi bi-trash"></i> Remove View
+          <button
+            disabled={deleteState || viewMutations.removeViewMutation.isPending || selectedViewDelete === null}
+            onClick={handleDeleteView}
+            className="btn btn-danger px-2 mt-3"
+          >
+            <i className="bi bi-trash"></i> {viewMutations.removeViewMutation.isPending ? 'Removing...' : 'Remove'}
           </button>
         </div>
       </Modal.Body>
diff --git a/web/src/components/project/project-interface.tsx b/web/src/components/project/project-interface.tsx
index b06c2d9b..59719b32 100644
--- a/web/src/components/project/project-interface.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/project/project-interface.tsx
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ import { useProjectConfig } from '../../hooks/queries/useProjectConfig';
 import { useProjectHistory } from '../../hooks/queries/useProjectHistory';
 import { useSampleTable } from '../../hooks/queries/useSampleTable';
 import { useSubsampleTable } from '../../hooks/queries/useSubsampleTable';
+import { useView } from '../../hooks/queries/useView';
 import { useCurrentHistoryId } from '../../hooks/stores/useCurrentHistoryId';
 import { useProjectPageView } from '../../hooks/stores/useProjectPageView';
+import { useProjectSelectedView } from '../../hooks/stores/useProjectSelectedViewStore';
 import { getOS } from '../../utils/etc';
 import { canEdit } from '../../utils/permissions';
 import { arraysToSampleList, sampleListToArrays } from '../../utils/sample-table';
@@ -52,8 +54,21 @@ export const ProjectInterface = (props: Props) => {
   const { data: historyData } = useProjectHistory(namespace, projectName, tag, currentHistoryId);
 
   // fetch the page view (samples, subsamples, config)
+  // this is not the DATA view, which is a separate idea
   const { pageView, setPageView } = useProjectPageView();
 
+  // the is the DATA view, i.e. a slice of the sample table
+  const { view } = useProjectSelectedView();
+
+  const { data: viewData } = useView({
+    namespace,
+    project: projectName,
+    tag,
+    view,
+    enabled: !!view,
+  });
+  const viewSamples = viewData?._samples || [];
+
   // form to store project updated fields temporarily
   // on the client before submitting to the server
   const projectUpdates = useForm<ProjectUpdateFields>({
@@ -191,8 +206,14 @@ export const ProjectInterface = (props: Props) => {
                 onChange={(samples) => {
                   onChange(samples);
                 }}
-                readOnly={!userCanEdit}
-                data={currentHistoryId ? sampleListToArrays(historyData?._sample_dict || []) : newSamples}
+                readOnly={!userCanEdit || view !== undefined}
+                data={
+                  view !== undefined
+                    ? sampleListToArrays(viewSamples)
+                    : currentHistoryId
+                    ? sampleListToArrays(historyData?._sample_dict || [])
+                    : newSamples
+                }
                 height={window.innerHeight - 15 - (projectDataRef.current?.offsetTop || 300)}
                 setFilteredSamples={(samples) => setFilteredSamples(samples)}
                 sampleTableIndex={sampleTableIndex}
diff --git a/web/src/components/project/project-validation-and-edit-buttons.tsx b/web/src/components/project/project-validation-and-edit-buttons.tsx
index d5a0dde5..d8467c78 100644
--- a/web/src/components/project/project-validation-and-edit-buttons.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/project/project-validation-and-edit-buttons.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { useValidation } from '../../hooks/queries/useValidation';
 import { canEdit } from '../../utils/permissions';
 import { StatusIcon } from '../badges/status-icons';
 import { ProjectDataNav } from '../layout/project-data-nav';
-import { ValidationTooltip } from '../tooltips/validation-tooltip';
 import { ValidationResult } from './validation/validation-result';
 
 type ProjectValidationAndEditButtonsProps = {
@@ -55,12 +54,13 @@ export const ProjectValidationAndEditButtons = (props: ProjectValidationAndEditB
                   <>
                     <OverlayTrigger
                       overlay={
-                        <Tooltip id="validation" style={{position:"fixed"}}>
-                          As you edit your project below, it will be validated against the schema currently selected for it.
+                        <Tooltip id="validation" style={{ position: 'fixed' }}>
+                          As you edit your project below, it will be validated against the schema currently selected for
+                          it.
                         </Tooltip>
                       }
                       delay={{ show: 250, hide: 500 }}
-                      trigger={["hover"]}
+                      trigger={['hover']}
                     >
                       <div className="d-flex align-items-center">
                         <StatusIcon className="text-2xl" variant="warning" />
diff --git a/web/src/components/project/view-selector.tsx b/web/src/components/project/view-selector.tsx
index e0c7263b..28733e30 100644
--- a/web/src/components/project/view-selector.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/project/view-selector.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ export const ViewSelector = (props: ViewSelectorProps) => {
   const [searchParams, setSearchParams] = useSearchParams();
 
   const { namespace, projectName, tag } = useProjectPage();
+
+  // this is the DATA view, i.e. a slice of the sample table
+  // to inprove performance and usability
+  // this is NOT the PAGE view, which is
+  // which tab the user is currently viewing (a separate idea)
   const { view, setView } = useProjectSelectedView();
 
   const projectViewsQuery = useProjectViews(namespace, projectName, tag);
diff --git a/web/src/components/tables/sample-table.tsx b/web/src/components/tables/sample-table.tsx
index 676e3557..91ef969d 100644
--- a/web/src/components/tables/sample-table.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/tables/sample-table.tsx
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ export const SampleTable = (props: Props) => {
   const numColumns = data.length > 0 ? data[0].length : 0;
 
   const ph_id_col = data[0].indexOf('ph_id');
+  let sampleTableIndexCol = 0;
+  if (sampleTableIndex) {
+    sampleTableIndexCol = data[0].indexOf(sampleTableIndex);
+  }
 
   return (
     <HotTable
@@ -64,23 +68,18 @@ export const SampleTable = (props: Props) => {
         if (!setFilteredSamples) {
           return;
         }
-        setFilteredSamples(
-          //@ts-ignore this is way too complex to type right now
-          k.length > 0
-            ? hotRef.current?.hotInstance
-                ?.getData()
-                .map(
-                  (subArray) =>
-                    subArray[
-                      hotRef.current?.hotInstance
-                        ?.getData()[0]
-                        .findIndex((x: any) => x == (sampleTableIndex ? sampleTableIndex : 'sample_name'))
-                    ],
-                )
-                .filter((element) => element != null)
-                .slice(1)
-            : null,
-        );
+
+        // if there are filters applied, then filter the samples
+        if (k.length > 0) {
+          const hotdata = hotRef.current?.hotInstance?.getData() || [];
+          const filteredSamples = hotdata
+            .map((subArray) => subArray[sampleTableIndexCol])
+            .filter((element) => element != null);
+          setFilteredSamples(filteredSamples);
+          // if there are no filters applied, then set the filtered samples to an empty array
+        } else {
+          setFilteredSamples([]);
+        }
       }}
       ref={hotRef}
       data={data}