Macos ui

Skill tyroneross/interface-built-right/skills/macos-ui

Use when building AppKit/SwiftUI apps for Mac, or when /ibr:build preamble returns platform=macOS — HIG rules for windows, toolbars, menu bar, materials, Liquid Glass, plus manual signing/notarization/distribution steps. Not for app architecture, SwiftData, concurrency, or the CI/CD pipeline; use `apple-platform` instead.From its SKILL.md

Install

npx -y skills add tyroneross/interface-built-right --skill macos-ui

Assembled from the repository path, not quoted from the project. Check it against their README if it does not work.

One thing to look at

1 stars1 stars. Stars are a popularity signal and not a quality one, but at this level it is likely that nobody has read this closely except its author, and you would be relying on your own review.

SKILL.md

4.7 KB, as published. Nobody here has run it

macOS UI

HIG-derived rules for Mac apps. Research context: docs/research/2026-04-13-mobile-ui-best-practices.md.

Windows

Full-size content view is the modern default — content extends under the translucent titlebar. Use materials so toolbar vibrancy works
Windows resizable unless content truly can't reflow
Persist size + position across launches
Support NSWindow tabbing (⌘T) when the app is document-based or browsable

Toolbars, sidebars, inspectors

Sidebar (source list): .sidebar material, translucent with vibrancy. Shows hierarchy / top-level areas
Toolbar: primary actions + search for current window; respect user customization
Inspector: right-side contextual details panel; toggleable

Menus

Menu bar is first-class. Every command the user can invoke should be reachable from the menu bar — power users expect it.

Sacred shortcuts (never rebind):

⌘N / ⌘O / ⌘S / ⌘W / ⌘Q
⌘Z / ⇧⌘Z — undo/redo
⌘X / ⌘C / ⌘V — cut/copy/paste
⌘F — find
⌘, — preferences/settings
⌘? — help
Control-⌘-F — full screen

Context menus supplement, never replace, menu bar items.

Keyboard-first

Every interactive element tab-reachable
Focus ring visible (WCAG 2.4.7)
No mouse-only features

Pointer targets

Apple does not publish a single "macOS minimum target size" equivalent to iOS 44pt. Use WCAG 2.5.8 (24×24 px) as floor, 28–32 pt for standalone buttons. Hover states expected — cursor changes (I-beam, pointingHand, openHand).

Vibrancy + materials

NSVisualEffectView materials: sidebar, titlebar, menu, popover, HUD
Vibrancy pulls color through material — use vibrant label/fill/separator variants
Four vibrancy levels: default (highest contrast) → quaternary (lowest)
macOS 26 Tahoe Liquid Glass: translucent menu bar, Dock, Control Center. Desktop icons react to light/dark + tint. Verify exact SwiftUI modifier names against live Xcode docs before quoting

Colors

Same semantic-first rule as iOS — use NSColor.labelColor, NSColor.controlBackgroundColor, NSColor.separatorColor. In SwiftUI, Color(NSColor.labelColor) or Color.primary.

Typography

Default body = 13pt SF Pro on macOS (vs 17pt iOS). Match macOS system font scale — don't transplant iOS sizes.

Distribution

Path A — App Store

Submit via Xcode Organizer → App Store Connect
Full Apple review
Sandbox required (entitlements declared in .entitlements)
Universal binary: arm64 + x86_64 unless dropping Intel

Path B — Direct / Sparkle

Developer ID signed + notarized — required since 2019 for Gatekeeper to pass silently
Sparkle updaters: nested executables must also be Developer ID signed + timestamped, or notarization fails
No sandbox required (but recommended)

Apple documentation — canonical entry points

HIG:

AppKit:

NSVisualEffectView

Distribution:

Keyboard reference:

Mac keyboard shortcuts (apple.com/102650)

Anti-patterns

Hiding commands only in context menus (menu bar must have them)
Rebinding sacred shortcuts
Fixed-size windows for content that could reflow
Hardcoded colors / fonts
Transplanting iOS 17pt body directly — feels too large on Mac
Shipping Intel-only binaries on Apple Silicon era
Direct distribution without notarization → silent Gatekeeper fail for users