lucasilverentand Apple Design Foundations
Foundational HIG topics shared across all Apple platforms — design principles, accessibility, shared UI elements with identical guidance everywhere, and meta indexes. For platform-specific component variations, see the matching <platform> skill.
How to use
- Match the user's question to a topic in the glossary below.
- Read only the relevant reference with
Read. Topics with multiple files (×N) live inreferences/<topic>/. - Combine with the platform skill when the user is targeting a specific device — e.g., color foundations +
iosfor iPhone-specific palettes. - Cite the topic when giving guidance so the user can verify against Apple's source.
Glossary
| Topic | Reference | Summary |
|---|---|---|
accessibility |
accessibility/ |
Intuitive |
activity-views |
activity-views.md |
You have the ability to supply app-specific activities that appear in a share… |
app-icons |
app-icons/ |
While a flattened image can be used for your icon, utilizing layers provides… |
branding |
branding.md |
Applications and games should convey their distinct brand identity in ways that… |
charting-data |
charting-data.md |
chart can serve different roles, from a straightforward graphic offering quick… |
charts |
charts/ |
Determine how forecasted weather conditions may affect their plans |
color |
color/ |
However, you might also choose custom colors to enhance your app or game's… |
components |
components.md |
Understand how to utilize and tailor system-provided components to ensure a… |
content |
content.md |
Charts — Organize data visually into a chart to clearly and appealingly… |
dark-mode |
dark-mode/ |
Avoid offering an app-specific appearance setting |
designing-for-games |
designing-for-games/ |
Integrate Game Center to enable players to find your game across devices and… |
digit-entry-views |
digit-entry-views.md |
digit entry view occupies the entire screen, prompting users to input a… |
disclosure-controls |
disclosure-controls.md |
Disclosure controls determine the visibility of information and functionality… |
eyes |
eyes/ |
In certain situations, the system may automatically display an expanded view of… |
feedback |
feedback.md |
Feedback informs users about the current state, guides them on subsequent… |
foundations |
foundations.md |
Accessibility — Accessible user interfaces enable everyone to have a positive… |
gestures |
gestures/ |
All platforms support fundamental gestures like tap, swipe, and drag |
getting-started |
getting-started.md |
Develop an application or game that delivers a cohesive, native experience… |
icons |
icons/ |
You may either design interface icons—also referred to as glyphs—or select… |
image-wells |
image-wells.md |
image well serves as an editable version of an image view |
inclusion |
inclusion/ |
As with any design project, developing an inclusive application is a… |
inputs |
inputs.md |
Overview of Application/Game Control and Data Input Mechanisms |
keyboards |
keyboards/ |
Keyboard users often appreciate using shortcuts to accelerate their… |
launching |
launching/ |
smooth launch experience enables users to begin using your app or game… |
layout |
layout/ |
Apple provides templates, guides, and other resources to help you integrate… |
layout-and-organization |
layout-and-organization.md |
Boxes — A box defines a visually distinct grouping for logically related… |
loading |
loading.md |
Optimal content loading occurs when the user remains unaware of the process |
lockups |
lockups.md |
lockup integrates multiple distinct views into a single, interactive unit |
materials |
materials/ |
Apple platforms utilize two types of materials: Liquid Glass and standard… |
menus-and-actions |
menus-and-actions.md |
Activity views — An activity view, often referred to as a share sheet,… |
modality |
modality.md |
Modality is a design method where content appears in a standalone, dedicated… |
motion |
motion/ |
When designing custom motion, please follow the guidelines provided below |
navigation-and-search |
navigation-and-search.md |
Path controls — Displays the file system location of a selected file or… |
offering-help |
offering-help.md |
While optimal experiences are inherently intuitive and accessible, you retain… |
onboarding |
onboarding.md |
Onboarding assists users in achieving a rapid start with your application or… |
outline-views |
outline-views.md |
outline view displays structured data hierarchically within a scrollable… |
patterns |
patterns.md |
Please provide the Apple design guideline prose you would like me to paraphrase |
pointing-devices |
pointing-devices/ |
Maintain consistency in how you respond to mouse and trackpad gestures |
presentation |
presentation.md |
Action sheets — An action sheet is a modal display used to present options… |
privacy |
privacy/ |
Upon submitting a new or revised application, you must furnish specifics… |
rating-indicators |
rating-indicators.md |
rating indicator conveys a ranking level using a sequence of horizontally… |
right-to-left |
right-to-left/ |
System-provided UI frameworks inherently support right-to-left (RTL), enabling… |
searching |
searching.md |
Users employ diverse methods to locate information across their device, within… |
selection-and-input |
selection-and-input.md |
Color wells — A color well allows users to modify the hue of text, shapes,… |
sf-symbols |
sf-symbols/ |
availability of specific symbols and features depends on the target system… |
status |
status.md |
Activity rings — Activity rings visualize a user's daily advancement toward the… |
status-bars |
status-bars.md |
status bar occupies the upper edge of the display and provides indicators… |
system-experiences |
system-experiences.md |
App Shortcuts — Allows users to access your application's critical functions or… |
technologies |
technologies.md |
Explore the Apple technologies, features, and services available for… |
typography |
typography/ |
Modify font weight, size, and color to highlight critical information and… |
virtual-keyboards |
virtual-keyboards/ |
If appropriate for your application, you have the option to substitute the… |
voiceover |
voiceover.md |
VoiceOver functions as a screen reader, allowing users to interact with your… |
web-views |
web-views.md |
web view enables your application to load and render rich internet content,… |
writing |
writing/ |
Define your app's voice |