Allow for setting of sorting, grouping, aggregates and column aliases right on the Design Pane.
I am wondering if it's possible to build simple queries using the Design Pane and Criteria Builder only. You can leave the Query Columns Grid to define complex SQL expressions and re-ordering of the query columns.
Actually, something like this is partially possible now with the help of Criteria Builder visual control and the Query Transformer API. Most of the "Query Results" demos that included has a sample of the data grid. There's a Criteria Builder control above the grid that lets define filters for result dataset. Criteria Builder is connected to the Query Transformer object and is used as a GUI for it. Clicking on the grid columns leads to changing of dataset sorting, this is also made with the help of Query Transformer API. You can save the state of Query Transformer to restore user settings between work sessions.
In the next major version we will transpose the Query Columns Grid so it might be placed above data grid and include the Criteria Builder-like interface into it.