Human Interface Guidelines

Quick reference for Apple HIG decisions. Covers background colors, typography, colors, icons, and defending design choices.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you're:

• Making visual design decisions (colors, backgrounds, typography)
• Reviewing UI for HIG compliance
• Answering "Should I use a dark background?"
• Choosing between design options
• Defending design decisions to stakeholders
• Quick lookups for common design questions

For comprehensive details: See hig-ref for complete API coverage and code examples.

For Liquid Glass: See liquid-glass for iOS 26 material design.

Example Prompts

Questions you can ask Claude that will draw from this skill:

• "Should I use a dark background for my media app?"
• "What semantic colors should I use for labels?"
• "Which font weights are recommended for body text?"
• "How do I create colors that adapt to light/dark mode?"
• "Is my touch target too small?"
• "What's the minimum tappable area for buttons?"

What's Covered

Background Colors

• When to use permanent dark appearance (media-focused apps)
• System backgrounds (systemBackground, systemGroupedBackground)
• Respecting user preference vs enforcing appearance

Colors

• Semantic colors (label, secondaryLabel, etc.)
• System backgrounds hierarchy
• Color Set creation for custom colors
• Light/dark/high contrast variants

Typography

• Font weight recommendations (avoid Ultralight/Thin/Light)
• Preferred weights: Regular, Medium, Semibold, Bold
• Dynamic Type support

Touch Targets

• Minimum 44x44pt tappable area
• Spacing between targets

Key Pattern

Background Color Decision Tree

Color Selection Decision Tree

Font Weight Decision

// ❌ AVOID — Legibility issues
.font(.system(.body, weight: .ultraLight))
.font(.system(.body, weight: .thin))
.font(.system(.body, weight: .light))

// ✅ PREFER — Good legibility
.font(.system(.body, weight: .regular))
.font(.system(.body, weight: .medium))
.font(.headline)  // Semibold by default

Documentation Scope

This page documents the axiom-hig skill—quick HIG decision frameworks Claude uses when you're making design decisions or reviewing UI for compliance.

For comprehensive reference: See hig-ref for complete API coverage, code examples, and detailed guidelines.

Related

• hig-ref — Comprehensive HIG API reference
• liquid-glass — iOS 26 Liquid Glass material design
• swiftui-layout — Adaptive layout patterns

Resources

WWDC: 2023-10148 (Design for spatial computing), 2024-10154 (Design tips)

Docs: developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines