Apple HIG: Presentation Components

.claude/apple-design-context.md

Key Principles

1. Alerts: sparingly, for critical situations. Errors needing attention, destructive action confirmations, or information requiring acknowledgment. They interrupt flow and demand a response.
2. Sheets: focused tasks that maintain context. Slides in from the edge (or attaches to a window on macOS). Use for creating items, editing settings, multi-step forms.
3. Popovers: non-modal on iPad and Mac. Appear next to the trigger element, dismissed by tapping outside. For additional information, options, or controls without taking over the screen.
4. Action sheets: choosing among actions. Present when picking from multiple actions, especially if one is destructive. iPhone: slide up from bottom. iPad: appear as popovers.
5. Minimize interruptions. Before reaching for a modal, consider inline presentation or making the action undoable instead.
6. Concise, actionable alert text. Short descriptive title. Brief message body if needed. Button labels should be specific verbs ("Delete", "Save"), not "OK".
7. Mark destructive actions clearly. Destructive button style (red text). Place destructive buttons where users are less likely to tap reflexively.
8. Provide a cancel option for alerts and action sheets with multiple actions. On action sheets, cancel appears at the bottom, separated.
9. Digit entry: focused and accessible. Appropriately sized input fields, automatic advancement between digits, support for paste and autofill.
10. Adapt presentation to platform. The same interaction may use different components on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and visionOS.

Reference Index

Output Format

1. Recommended presentation type with rationale and why alternatives are less suitable.
2. Content guidelines -- title, message, button labels per Apple's tone and brevity rules.
3. Dismiss behavior -- how the user dismisses and what happens (save, discard, cancel).
4. Alternatives -- when the scenario might not need a modal at all (inline feedback, undo, progressive disclosure).

Questions to Ask

1. What information or action does the presentation need?
2. Blocking or non-blocking?
3. Which platforms?
4. How often does this appear?

Related Skills

• hig-components-menus -- Buttons and toolbar items triggering presentations
• hig-components-controls -- Input controls within sheets and popovers
• hig-components-search -- Search and navigation within presented views
• hig-patterns -- Modality, interruptions, user flow management
• hig-foundations -- Color, typography, layout for presentation components