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Agent Skills Catalog

macOS HIG: Layout & Window Management

Guidelines and assistance for creating macOS applications compliant with Apple's Human Interface Guidelines regarding Layout, Window Management, and Displays.

Install — derived; the command form is the repository README's own:

npx skills add ghchinoy/agent-skills --skill macos-hig-layout
name from this skill's SKILL.md
macos-hig-layout
version from this skill's SKILL.md
1.0.0
license from this skill's SKILL.md
Apache-2.0
keywords plugin keywords, from plugin.json
  • macos
  • hig
  • swift
  • swiftlint
  • design
plugin derived
macOS HIGmacos-hig
conformance derived from plugin.json $schema
Targets Agent Plugins 1.0.0.
source derived
plugins/macos-hig/skills/macos-hig-layout/SKILL.md

references

Listed by real filename — no summary is written for a file that does not describe itself. Immediate children only.

This skill provides expert guidance for macOS app design and development focusing on displays, ergonomics, and window behavior.

Core Principles

  1. Displays: macOS apps run on large, high-resolution displays. Connect multiple displays seamlessly.
  2. Ergonomics: Viewers sit 1 to 3 feet away. Maintain a comfortable information density. Avoid straining the user's eyes.
  3. App Interactions: Users frequently have multiple apps open. Ensure smooth transitions between active and inactive states.

Best Practices

  • Leverage Large Displays: Present more content in fewer nested levels with less need for modality.
  • Window Management: Let people resize, hide, show, and move your windows to fit their work style and device configuration.
  • Full-Screen Mode: Support full-screen mode to offer a distraction-free context.
  • Personalization: Let people customize toolbars and configure windows to display the views they use most.

Instructions

When assisting a user with macOS UI/UX:

  • ALWAYS check if the proposed layout forces unnecessary modality instead of using available screen space.
  • Review window resize constraints: verify that minimum and maximum window sizes are reasonable.
  • Ensure the application properly handles active vs. inactive window states visually (e.g., dimming inactive elements).