Macos Design Guidelines

If you're building a Mac app and keep second-guessing menu structure or window behavior, this codifies Apple's HIG into enforceable rules with SwiftUI and AppKit examples. It's opinionated about the non-negotiables: every app needs a proper menu bar with keyboard shortcuts, windows must be resizable and remember their state, and those traffic light buttons stay in the top left corner. The code snippets show both frameworks side by side, from CommandGroup setup to NSWindow configuration. Useful when you're porting from iOS or just want to avoid the awkward first-time Mac app mistakes that make power users immediately uninstall.

skills.sh installs: 4.5K
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last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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$ npx -y skills add ehmo/platform-design-skills --skill macos-design-guidelines --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

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macOS Human Interface Guidelines

Mac apps serve power users who expect deep keyboard control, persistent menu bars, resizable multi-window layouts, and tight system integration. These guidelines codify Apple's HIG into actionable rules with SwiftUI and AppKit examples.

1. Menu Bar (CRITICAL)

Every Mac app must have a menu bar. It is the primary discovery mechanism for commands. Users who cannot find a feature will look in the menu bar before anywhere else.

Rule 1.1 — Provide Standard Menus

Every app must include at minimum: App, File, Edit, View, Window, Help. Omit File only if the app is not document-based. Add app-specific menus between Edit and View or between View and Window.

SKILL.md on GitHub

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