Apple Human Interface Guidelines UserExperience 2009-08-20 OpenGLisaregisteredtrademarkofSilicon AppleInc. Graphics,Inc. ©1992,2001-2003,2009AppleInc. PowerPCandandthePowerPClogoare Allrightsreserved. trademarksofInternationalBusinessMachines Corporation,usedunderlicensetherefrom. 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Contents Introduction IntroductiontoAppleHumanInterfaceGuidelines 19 WhatAretheAppleHumanInterfaceGuidelines? 19 WhoShouldReadThisDocument? 20 OrganizationofThisDocument 20 ConventionsUsedinThisDocument 20 SeeAlso 21 PartI ApplicationDesignFundamentals 23 Chapter1 TheDesignProcess 25 InvolvingUsersintheDesignProcess 25 KnowYourAudience 25 AnalyzeUserTasks 26 BuildPrototypes 26 ObserveUsers 26 GuidelinesforConductingUserObservations 27 MakingDesignDecisions 28 AvoidFeatureCascade 29 Applythe80PercentSolution 29 Chapter2 CharacteristicsofGreatSoftware 31 HighPerformance 31 EaseofUse 32 AttractiveAppearance 34 Reliability 34 Adaptability 36 Interoperability 37 Mobility 37 Chapter3 HumanInterfaceDesign 39 HumanInterfaceDesignPrinciples 39 Metaphors 39 ReflecttheUser’sMentalModel 39 ExplicitandImpliedActions 41 DirectManipulation 41 UserControl 42 FeedbackandCommunication 42 3 2009-08-20 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2009 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS Consistency 43 WYSIWYG(WhatYouSeeIsWhatYouGet) 44 Forgiveness 44 PerceivedStability 45 AestheticIntegrity 45 Modelessness 46 ManagingComplexityinYourSoftware 46 KeepYourUsersinMind 47 WorldwideCompatibility 47 UniversalAccessibility 49 ExtendingtheInterface 51 BuildontheExistingInterface 51 Don’tAssignNewBehaviorstoExistingObjects 51 CreateaNewInterfaceElementCautiously 52 Chapter4 PrioritizingDesignDecisions 53 MeetMinimumRequirements 53 DelivertheFeaturesUsersExpect 55 DifferentiateYourApplication 56 PartII TheMacintoshExperience 59 Chapter5 TheMacOSXEnvironment 61 TheAlways-OnEnvironment 61 DiskSizeandUsageInformation 61 Displays 61 TheDock 62 ConveyingInformationintheDock 62 ClickingintheDock 62 TheFinder 63 FileFormatsandFilenameExtensions 64 Internationalization 64 MultipleUserIssues 65 ResourceManagement 66 Threads 66 Chapter6 UsingMacOSXTechnologies 67 AddressBook 67 Animation 68 Automator 70 Bonjour 71 Colors 71 4 2009-08-20 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2009 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS Dashboard 72 High-LevelDesignGuidelinesforWidgets 72 User-InterfaceDesignGuidelinesforWidgets 73 Fonts 74 Preferences 75 Printing 76 Security 76 Services 77 Speech 78 Spotlight 78 UserAssistance 81 AppleHelp 81 HelpTags 82 Chapter7 SoftwareInstallationandSoftwareUpdates 85 Packaging 85 IdentifySystemRequirements 85 BundleYourSoftware 85 Installation 86 UseInternet-EnabledDiskImages 86 Drag-and-DropInstallation 86 InstallationPackages 87 GeneralInstallerGuidelines 87 SetupAssistants 88 UpdatingInstalledApplications 90 PartIII TheAquaInterface 95 Chapter8 UserInput 97 TheMouseandOtherPointingDevices 97 Clicking 97 Double-Clicking 98 PressingandHolding 98 Dragging 98 TheTrackpad 98 TheKeyboard 99 TheFunctionsofSpecificKeys 100 KeyboardShortcuts 106 KeyboardFocusandNavigation 110 Type-AheadandKey-Repeat 111 Selecting 112 SelectionMethods 112 SelectionsinText 115 5 2009-08-20 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2009 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS SelectionsinSpreadsheets 116 SelectionsinGraphics 117 EditingText 117 InsertingText 117 DeletingText 117 ReplacingaSelection 118 IntelligentCutandPaste 118 EditingTextFields 119 EnteringPasswords 120 Chapter9 DragandDrop 121 Drag-and-DropOverview 121 Drag-and-DropSemantics 121 MoveVersusCopy 122 WhentoChecktheOptionKeyState 122 SelectionFeedback 122 Single-GestureSelectionandDragging 123 BackgroundSelections 123 DragFeedback 123 DestinationFeedback 123 Windows 124 Text 124 Lists 124 MultipleDraggedItems 125 AutomaticScrolling 125 UsingtheTrashasaDestination 125 DropFeedback 125 FinderIcons 125 Graphics 126 Text 126 TransferringaSelection 126 FeedbackforanInvalidDrop 126 Clippings 127 Chapter10 Text 129 Fonts 129 Style 130 InsertingSpacesBetweenSentences 131 UsingtheEllipsisCharacter 131 UsingtheColonCharacter 132 LabelsforInterfaceElements 135 CapitalizationofInterfaceElementLabelsandText 136 UsingContractionsintheInterface 137 UsingAbbreviationsandAcronymsintheInterface 137 6 2009-08-20 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2009 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS DeveloperTermsandUserTerms 138 Chapter11 Icons 139 IconGenresandFamilies 139 ApplicationIcons 140 UserApplicationIcons 140 Viewer,Player,andAccessoryIcons 142 UtilityIcons 142 DocumentIcons 142 ToolbarIcons 143 IconsforPlug-ins,Hardware,andRemovableMedia 144 IconPerspectivesandMaterials 145 CreatingIcons 147 TipsforDesigningIcons 147 ASuggestedProcessforCreatingIcons 148 CreatingIconsforMacOSXv10.5andLater 149 ScalingYourArtwork 151 DesigningToolbarIcons 152 DesigningIconsforIconButtons 153 DesigningIconsforCapsule-StyleToolbarControls 154 DesigningIconsforRectangular-StyleToolbarControls 154 System-ProvidedImages 155 System-ProvidedImagesforUseinControls 156 System-ProvidedImagesforUseasStandaloneButtons 157 System-ProvidedImagesforUseasToolbarItems 158 System-ProvidedImagesthatIndicatePrivileges 160 ASystem-ProvidedDragImage 160 Chapter12 Pointers 161 StandardPointers 161 DesigningYourOwnPointers 163 Chapter13 Menus 165 MenuBehavior 165 DesigningtheElementsofMenus 167 TitlingMenus 167 NamingMenuItems 167 UsingIconsinMenus 169 UsingSymbolsinMenus 170 ToggledMenuItems 172 GroupingItemsinMenus 173 HierarchicalMenus(Submenus) 174 TheMenuBarandItsMenus 175 7 2009-08-20 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2009 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS TheAppleMenu 177 TheApplicationMenu 177 TheFileMenu 179 TheEditMenu 181 TheFormatMenu 183 TheViewMenu 184 Application-SpecificMenus 186 TheWindowMenu 186 TheHelpMenu 187 MenuBarExtras 188 ContextualMenus 188 DockMenus 190 Chapter14 Windows 191 TypesofWindows 191 WindowAppearance 192 WindowElements 194 TheTitleBar 197 Toolbars 200 ScopeBars 205 SourceLists 208 BottomBars 212 Drawers 214 WindowBehavior 216 OpeningWindows 216 NamingNewWindows 217 PositioningWindows 218 MovingWindows 220 ResizingandZoomingWindows 220 MinimizingandExpandingWindows 221 ClosingWindows 221 WindowLayering 222 ScrollingWindows 225 Panels 227 InspectorWindows 229 TransparentPanels 230 FontsWindowandColorsWindow 234 AboutWindows 234 Dialogs 235 TypesofDialogsandWhentoUseThem 235 DialogAppearanceandBehavior 240 FindWindows 243 PreferencesWindows 243 TheOpenDialog 245 DialogsforSaving,Closing,andQuitting 246 8 2009-08-20 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2009 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS TheChooseDialog 251 ThePrintDialog 253 Chapter15 Controls 255 Window-FrameControls 255 DeterminingtheStateofaWindow-FrameControlfromitsAppearance 256 Rectangular-StyleToolbarControls 257 Capsule-StyleToolbarControls 261 LegacyToolbarControls 264 Buttons 265 PushButtons 265 IconButtons 269 ScopeButtons 271 GradientButtons 273 TheHelpButton 276 BevelButtons 277 RoundButtons 279 SelectionControls 280 RadioButtons 280 Checkboxes 283 SegmentedControls 286 IconButtonsandBevelButtonswithPop-UpMenus 288 Pop-UpMenus 289 ActionMenus 293 CombinationBoxes 295 PathControls 298 ColorWells 300 ImageWells 300 DatePickers 301 CommandPop-DownMenus 303 Sliders 305 TheStepperControl(LittleArrows) 309 Placards 310 Indicators 310 ProgressIndicators 311 LevelIndicators 316 TextControls 321 StaticTextFields 321 TextInputFields 322 TokenFields 325 SearchFields 326 ScrollingLists 328 ViewControls 329 DisclosureTriangles 329 DisclosureButtons 331 9 2009-08-20 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2009 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS ListViews 333 ColumnViews 334 SplitViews 336 TabViews 338 GroupingControls 341 Separators 342 GroupBoxes 344 Chapter16 LayoutGuidelines 347 PositioningRegular-SizeControlsinaWindowBody 347 ASimplePreferencesWindow 347 ATabbedWindow 350 AStandardAlert 353 ADialogwithaListView 354 PositioningSmallandMiniControlsinaWindowBody 356 LayoutExampleforSmallControls 356 LayoutExampleforMiniControls 359 GroupingControlsinaWindowBody 361 GroupingwithWhiteSpace 361 GroupingwithSeparators 362 GroupingwithGroupBoxes 363 PositioningTextandControlsinaBottomBar 365 AppendixA KeyboardShortcutsQuickReference 367 Glossary 375 DocumentRevisionHistory 383 Index 387 10 2009-08-20 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2009 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.