Human Interface Guidelines Reference
Local greppable copy of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines — an on-demand fact
lookup, not design direction.
Use it to answer factual questions: what a system component can do, what Apple
calls something, accessibility and ergonomic minimums (44pt hit targets,
Dynamic Type behavior, contrast), and conventions App Review actually checks.
Visual design in our repos is the designing model's own taste. Consult the
HIG for facts, never for aesthetics — it describes what the system provides
and requires, not what your screen should look like.
Downloaded Reference Files
All key HIG documentation is available locally (grep-friendly):
Getting Started
| File |
Content |
Size |
| hig-index.md |
Full HIG table of contents |
11KB |
| designing-for-ios.md |
iOS design principles |
5KB |
Foundations
| File |
Content |
Size |
| app-icons.md |
App icon design guidelines |
14KB |
| color.md |
Color usage and system colors |
17KB |
| typography.md |
Fonts, text styles, Dynamic Type |
17KB |
| layout.md |
Layout principles, safe areas |
21KB |
| materials.md |
Materials, blur effects, vibrancy |
14KB |
| motion.md |
Animation principles |
9KB |
| accessibility.md |
Accessibility best practices |
19KB |
| sf-symbols.md |
SF Symbols usage |
21KB |
Patterns
| File |
Content |
Size |
| onboarding.md |
Onboarding flows |
6KB |
| modality.md |
Modal presentations |
7KB |
| launching.md |
App launch experience |
6KB |
| feedback.md |
User feedback patterns |
5KB |
| playing-haptics.md |
Haptic feedback |
10KB |
| searching.md |
Search patterns |
7KB |
| settings.md |
Settings patterns |
7KB |
Components - Navigation
| File |
Content |
Size |
| tab-bars.md |
Tab bar design |
11KB |
| navigation-bars.md |
Navigation bar patterns |
17KB |
| toolbars.md |
Toolbar design |
17KB |
| sidebars.md |
Sidebar patterns |
8KB |
Components - Presentation
| File |
Content |
Size |
| sheets.md |
Sheet presentations |
11KB |
| alerts.md |
Alert dialogs |
10KB |
| action-sheets.md |
Action sheets |
4KB |
| menus.md |
Menu design |
14KB |
Components - Controls
| File |
Content |
Size |
| buttons.md |
Button styles and usage |
17KB |
| lists-and-tables.md |
List and table patterns |
9KB |
| toggles.md |
Toggle/switch design |
9KB |
| pickers.md |
Picker controls |
6KB |
| sliders.md |
Slider controls |
6KB |
| steppers.md |
Stepper controls |
2KB |
| text-fields.md |
Text input fields |
6KB |
Searching the Docs
# Find color guidance
grep -i "semantic" color.md
# Find button styles
grep -i "bordered" buttons.md
# Find haptic patterns
grep -i "notification" playing-haptics.md
# Browse the full HIG index
grep -i "navigation" hig-index.md
Fetching More Docs
- Search this skill's local
.md files first.
- If the topic is not here, check the other installed Apple skills you have available by their names, descriptions, or
SKILL.md frontmatter, then grep their local files. This is faster and uses less context than fetching new docs from the internet.
- If no installed skill has the page, use the relevant Human Interface Guidelines path with the
sosumi.ai Markdown mirror. For example, /design/human-interface-guidelines/buttons maps to https://sosumi.ai/design/human-interface-guidelines/buttons.
Common HIG Doc Paths
| Topic |
URL Path |
| Full Index |
human-interface-guidelines |
| iOS Design |
human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-ios |
| iPadOS Design |
human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-ipados |
| macOS Design |
human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-macos |
| App Icons |
human-interface-guidelines/app-icons |
| Color |
human-interface-guidelines/color |
| Typography |
human-interface-guidelines/typography |
| Layout |
human-interface-guidelines/layout |
| Accessibility |
human-interface-guidelines/accessibility |
| SF Symbols |
human-interface-guidelines/sf-symbols |
| Buttons |
human-interface-guidelines/buttons |
| Tab Bars |
human-interface-guidelines/tab-bars |
| Navigation Bars |
human-interface-guidelines/navigation-bars |
| Sheets |
human-interface-guidelines/sheets |
| Alerts |
human-interface-guidelines/alerts |
Quick Facts
System Button Styles (iOS)
What the system provides out of the box:
- Plain - Text only, minimal visual weight
- Gray - Gray background
- Tinted - Tinted background with accent color
- Filled - Solid background
- Bordered - Outlined with border
- Bordered Prominent - Filled background, high prominence
Haptic Feedback Types
- Selection - Light tap for selection changes
- Impact - Light/medium/heavy/rigid/soft for collisions
- Notification - Success/warning/error for outcomes
Safe Areas (ergonomic facts)
- Content outside safe areas can be clipped by the notch/Dynamic Island, home
indicator, or rounded corners
- Interactive elements outside safe areas may be unreachable or intercepted by
system gestures
- Backgrounds can extend edge-to-edge without those risks
Sources
Apple Documentation
WWDC Sessions
1---2name: hig3description: Fact lookup: Apple Human Interface Guidelines corpus (greppable markdown). Query on demand for accessibility and ergonomic minimums (hit-target sizes, Dynamic Type), platform terminology, system component capabilities, and App-Review-relevant conventions. Not design direction.4---5
6# Human Interface Guidelines Reference
7
8Local greppable copy of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines — an on-demand fact
9lookup, not design direction.
10
11Use it to answer factual questions: what a system component can do, what Apple
12calls something, accessibility and ergonomic minimums (44pt hit targets,
13Dynamic Type behavior, contrast), and conventions App Review actually checks.
14
15**Visual design in our repos is the designing model's own taste.** Consult the
16HIG for facts, never for aesthetics — it describes what the system provides
17and requires, not what your screen should look like.
18
19## Downloaded Reference Files
20
21All key HIG documentation is available locally (grep-friendly):
22
23### Getting Started
24
25| File | Content | Size |
26|------|---------|------|
27| [hig-index.md](hig-index.md) | Full HIG table of contents | 11KB |
28| [designing-for-ios.md](designing-for-ios.md) | iOS design principles | 5KB |
29
30### Foundations
31
32| File | Content | Size |
33|------|---------|------|
34| [app-icons.md](app-icons.md) | App icon design guidelines | 14KB |
35| [color.md](color.md) | Color usage and system colors | 17KB |
36| [typography.md](typography.md) | Fonts, text styles, Dynamic Type | 17KB |
37| [layout.md](layout.md) | Layout principles, safe areas | 21KB |
38| [materials.md](materials.md) | Materials, blur effects, vibrancy | 14KB |
39| [motion.md](motion.md) | Animation principles | 9KB |
40| [accessibility.md](accessibility.md) | Accessibility best practices | 19KB |
41| [sf-symbols.md](sf-symbols.md) | SF Symbols usage | 21KB |
42
43### Patterns
44
45| File | Content | Size |
46|------|---------|------|
47| [onboarding.md](onboarding.md) | Onboarding flows | 6KB |
48| [modality.md](modality.md) | Modal presentations | 7KB |
49| [launching.md](launching.md) | App launch experience | 6KB |
50| [feedback.md](feedback.md) | User feedback patterns | 5KB |
51| [playing-haptics.md](playing-haptics.md) | Haptic feedback | 10KB |
52| [searching.md](searching.md) | Search patterns | 7KB |
53| [settings.md](settings.md) | Settings patterns | 7KB |
54
55### Components - Navigation
56
57| File | Content | Size |
58|------|---------|------|
59| [tab-bars.md](tab-bars.md) | Tab bar design | 11KB |
60| [navigation-bars.md](navigation-bars.md) | Navigation bar patterns | 17KB |
61| [toolbars.md](toolbars.md) | Toolbar design | 17KB |
62| [sidebars.md](sidebars.md) | Sidebar patterns | 8KB |
63
64### Components - Presentation
65
66| File | Content | Size |
67|------|---------|------|
68| [sheets.md](sheets.md) | Sheet presentations | 11KB |
69| [alerts.md](alerts.md) | Alert dialogs | 10KB |
70| [action-sheets.md](action-sheets.md) | Action sheets | 4KB |
71| [menus.md](menus.md) | Menu design | 14KB |
72
73### Components - Controls
74
75| File | Content | Size |
76|------|---------|------|
77| [buttons.md](buttons.md) | Button styles and usage | 17KB |
78| [lists-and-tables.md](lists-and-tables.md) | List and table patterns | 9KB |
79| [toggles.md](toggles.md) | Toggle/switch design | 9KB |
80| [pickers.md](pickers.md) | Picker controls | 6KB |
81| [sliders.md](sliders.md) | Slider controls | 6KB |
82| [steppers.md](steppers.md) | Stepper controls | 2KB |
83| [text-fields.md](text-fields.md) | Text input fields | 6KB |
84
85### Searching the Docs
86
87```bash
88# Find color guidance
89grep -i "semantic" color.md
90
91# Find button styles
92grep -i "bordered" buttons.md
93
94# Find haptic patterns
95grep -i "notification" playing-haptics.md
96
97# Browse the full HIG index
98grep -i "navigation" hig-index.md
99```
100
101## Fetching More Docs
102
1031. Search this skill's local `.md` files first.
1042. If the topic is not here, check the other installed Apple skills you have available by their names, descriptions, or `SKILL.md` frontmatter, then grep their local files. This is faster and uses less context than fetching new docs from the internet.
1053. If no installed skill has the page, use the relevant Human Interface Guidelines path with the `sosumi.ai` Markdown mirror. For example, `/design/human-interface-guidelines/buttons` maps to `https://sosumi.ai/design/human-interface-guidelines/buttons`.
106
107### Common HIG Doc Paths
108
109| Topic | URL Path |
110|-------|----------|
111| Full Index | `human-interface-guidelines` |
112| iOS Design | `human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-ios` |
113| iPadOS Design | `human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-ipados` |
114| macOS Design | `human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-macos` |
115| App Icons | `human-interface-guidelines/app-icons` |
116| Color | `human-interface-guidelines/color` |
117| Typography | `human-interface-guidelines/typography` |
118| Layout | `human-interface-guidelines/layout` |
119| Accessibility | `human-interface-guidelines/accessibility` |
120| SF Symbols | `human-interface-guidelines/sf-symbols` |
121| Buttons | `human-interface-guidelines/buttons` |
122| Tab Bars | `human-interface-guidelines/tab-bars` |
123| Navigation Bars | `human-interface-guidelines/navigation-bars` |
124| Sheets | `human-interface-guidelines/sheets` |
125| Alerts | `human-interface-guidelines/alerts` |
126
127## Quick Facts
128
129### System Button Styles (iOS)
130
131What the system provides out of the box:
132
133- **Plain** - Text only, minimal visual weight
134- **Gray** - Gray background
135- **Tinted** - Tinted background with accent color
136- **Filled** - Solid background
137- **Bordered** - Outlined with border
138- **Bordered Prominent** - Filled background, high prominence
139
140### Haptic Feedback Types
141
142- **Selection** - Light tap for selection changes
143- **Impact** - Light/medium/heavy/rigid/soft for collisions
144- **Notification** - Success/warning/error for outcomes
145
146### Safe Areas (ergonomic facts)
147
148- Content outside safe areas can be clipped by the notch/Dynamic Island, home
149 indicator, or rounded corners
150- Interactive elements outside safe areas may be unreachable or intercepted by
151 system gestures
152- Backgrounds can extend edge-to-edge without those risks
153
154## Sources
155
156### Apple Documentation
157- [Human Interface Guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/)
158- [Design Resources](https://developer.apple.com/design/resources/)
159
160### WWDC Sessions
161- [Design for Liquid Glass - WWDC25](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/10156/)
162- [What's new in UIKit - WWDC25](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/10144/)
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