macos-app-design

Use standard menu bar layout (App/File/Edit/View/Window/Help), support ⌘, for Settings, keep standard shortcuts working, and prefer system components over custom UI. The Skill provides a full Mac Citizen checklist covering windows, sidebars, toolbars, and text behavior.

Prefer SwiftUI for new apps due to faster iteration and modern patterns. Drop to AppKit for advanced text editing, deep window customization, or pro-workflow integrations, keeping the bridging layer thin and well-tested.

Liquid Glass is Apple's translucent design material introduced in macOS Tahoe 26. Apply it only to the navigation and controls layer such as toolbars and sidebars, never to content like tables or lists, and avoid stacking glass on glass.

Design layered artwork on a 1024px canvas, add dynamic glass properties in Icon Composer rather than baking them in, and export vectors as SVG. Icon Composer requires macOS Sequoia 15.3+ and supports up to four layer groups across default, dark, clear, and tinted appearances.

Every interactive element needs VoiceOver labels, all functions must work keyboard-only, and the UI must remain usable with Reduced Motion, Reduced Transparency, and Increased Contrast enabled. Liquid Glass adapts automatically, but custom animations must respect these settings too.