1. A method of retrieving electronic documents comprising the steps of: identifying a selection at a user interface of a first associative object associated with a first set of electronic documents; identifying a selection at the user interface of a second associative object associated with a second set of electronic documents, the second associative object being of a different object type than the first associative object type; performing at least one predetermined operation performed using the first associative object and the second associative object to derive a document selection criteria; deriving a third set of electronic documents from said first set of electronic documents and said second set of electronic documents based upon the document selection criteria; and, presenting said third set of electronic documents within a display element of the user interface responsive to said deriving step, wherein said presenting step further comprising the step of: within a graphic that represents one electronic document of said third set of electronic documents, displaying a graphic representing at least one associative object associated with said one electronic document, wherein said first associative object is a digital seal, and wherein said second associative object is a container object.