Apple Human Interface Guidelines

394 Pages·2010·28.97 MB·English

by  Apple Inc.

Apple Human Interface Guidelines
UserExperience
2009-08-20
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Contents
Introduction IntroductiontoAppleHumanInterfaceGuidelines 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 28
Applythe80PercentSolution 29
Chapter2 CharacteristicsofGreatSoftware 31
HighPerformance 31
EaseofUse 32
AttractiveAppearance 34
Reliability 34
Adaptability 35
Interoperability 36
Mobility 37
Chapter3 HumanInterfaceDesign 39
HumanInterfaceDesignPrinciples 39
Metaphors 39
ReflecttheUser’sMentalModel 39
ExplicitandImpliedActions 41
DirectManipulation 41
UserControl 42
FeedbackandCommunication 42
Consistency 43
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CONTENTS
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 65
Threads 66
Chapter6 UsingMacOSXTechnologies 67
AddressBook 67
Animation 68
Automator 70
Bonjour 71
Colors 71
Dashboard 72
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CONTENTS
High-LevelDesignGuidelinesforWidgets 72
User-InterfaceDesignGuidelinesforWidgets 73
Fonts 74
Preferences 75
Printing 76
Security 76
Services 77
Speech 78
Spotlight 78
UserAssistance 80
AppleHelp 81
HelpTags 81
Chapter7 SoftwareInstallationandSoftwareUpdates 83
Packaging 83
IdentifySystemRequirements 83
BundleYourSoftware 83
Installation 84
UseInternet-EnabledDiskImages 84
Drag-and-DropInstallation 84
InstallationPackages 85
GeneralInstallerGuidelines 85
SetupAssistants 86
UpdatingInstalledApplications 88
PartIII TheAquaInterface 93
Chapter8 UserInput 95
TheMouseandOtherPointingDevices 95
Clicking 95
Double-Clicking 96
PressingandHolding 96
Dragging 96
TheTrackpad 96
TheKeyboard 97
TheFunctionsofSpecificKeys 98
KeyboardShortcuts 104
KeyboardFocusandNavigation 108
Type-AheadandKey-Repeat 109
Selecting 109
SelectionMethods 110
SelectionsinText 113
SelectionsinSpreadsheets 114
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CONTENTS
SelectionsinGraphics 115
EditingText 115
InsertingText 115
DeletingText 115
ReplacingaSelection 116
IntelligentCutandPaste 116
EditingTextFields 117
EnteringPasswords 117
Chapter9 DragandDrop 119
Drag-and-DropOverview 119
Drag-and-DropSemantics 119
MoveVersusCopy 120
WhentoChecktheOptionKeyState 120
SelectionFeedback 120
Single-GestureSelectionandDragging 121
BackgroundSelections 121
DragFeedback 121
DestinationFeedback 121
Windows 122
Text 122
Lists 122
MultipleDraggedItems 123
AutomaticScrolling 123
UsingtheTrashasaDestination 123
DropFeedback 123
FinderIcons 123
Graphics 124
Text 124
TransferringaSelection 124
FeedbackforanInvalidDrop 124
Clippings 125
Chapter10 Text 127
Fonts 127
Style 128
InsertingSpacesBetweenSentences 129
UsingtheEllipsisCharacter 129
UsingtheColonCharacter 130
LabelsforInterfaceElements 133
CapitalizationofInterfaceElementLabelsandText 133
UsingContractionsintheInterface 135
UsingAbbreviationsandAcronymsintheInterface 135
DeveloperTermsandUserTerms 136
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CONTENTS
Chapter11 Icons 137
IconGenresandFamilies 137
ApplicationIcons 138
UserApplicationIcons 138
Viewer,Player,andAccessoryIcons 140
UtilityIcons 140
DocumentIcons 140
ToolbarIcons 141
IconsforPlug-ins,Hardware,andRemovableMedia 142
IconPerspectivesandMaterials 143
CreatingIcons 145
TipsforDesigningIcons 145
ASuggestedProcessforCreatingIcons 145
CreatingIconsforMacOSXv10.5andLater 147
ScalingYourArtwork 149
DesigningToolbarIcons 150
DesigningIconsforIconButtons 151
DesigningIconsforCapsule-StyleToolbarControls 152
DesigningIconsforRectangular-StyleToolbarControls 152
System-ProvidedImages 153
System-ProvidedImagesforUseinControls 154
System-ProvidedImagesforUseasStandaloneButtons 155
System-ProvidedImagesforUseasToolbarItems 156
System-ProvidedImagesthatIndicatePrivileges 158
ASystem-ProvidedDragImage 158
Chapter12 Pointers 159
StandardPointers 159
DesigningYourOwnPointers 161
Chapter13 Menus 163
MenuBehavior 163
DesigningtheElementsofMenus 165
TitlingMenus 165
NamingMenuItems 165
UsingIconsinMenus 167
UsingSymbolsinMenus 168
ToggledMenuItems 170
GroupingItemsinMenus 171
HierarchicalMenus(Submenus) 172
TheMenuBarandItsMenus 173
TheAppleMenu 175
TheApplicationMenu 175
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CONTENTS
TheFileMenu 177
TheEditMenu 179
TheFormatMenu 181
TheViewMenu 182
Application-SpecificMenus 183
TheWindowMenu 184
TheHelpMenu 185
MenuBarExtras 185
ContextualMenus 186
DockMenus 188
Chapter14 Windows 189
TypesofWindows 189
WindowAppearance 190
WindowElements 192
TheTitleBar 195
Toolbars 198
ScopeBars 203
SourceLists 206
BottomBars 210
Drawers 212
WindowBehavior 214
OpeningWindows 214
NamingNewWindows 215
PositioningWindows 216
MovingWindows 218
ResizingandZoomingWindows 218
MinimizingandExpandingWindows 219
ClosingWindows 219
WindowLayering 220
ScrollingWindows 223
Panels 225
InspectorWindows 227
TransparentPanels 228
FontsWindowandColorsWindow 232
AboutWindows 232
Dialogs 233
TypesofDialogsandWhentoUseThem 233
DialogAppearanceandBehavior 238
FindWindows 241
PreferencesWindows 241
TheOpenDialog 243
DialogsforSaving,Closing,andQuitting 244
TheChooseDialog 249
ThePrintDialog 250
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CONTENTS
Chapter15 Controls 253
Window-FrameControls 253
DeterminingtheStateofaWindow-FrameControlfromitsAppearance 254
Rectangular-StyleToolbarControls 255
Capsule-StyleToolbarControls 259
LegacyToolbarControls 262
Buttons 263
PushButtons 263
IconButtons 267
ScopeButtons 269
GradientButtons 271
TheHelpButton 274
BevelButtons 275
RoundButtons 277
SelectionControls 278
RadioButtons 278
Checkboxes 281
SegmentedControls 284
IconButtonsandBevelButtonswithPop-UpMenus 286
Pop-UpMenus 287
ActionMenus 291
CombinationBoxes 293
PathControls 296
ColorWells 298
ImageWells 298
DatePickers 299
CommandPop-DownMenus 301
Sliders 303
TheStepperControl(LittleArrows) 307
Placards 308
Indicators 308
ProgressIndicators 308
LevelIndicators 313
TextControls 318
StaticTextFields 319
TextInputFields 320
TokenFields 322
SearchFields 323
ScrollingLists 325
ViewControls 326
DisclosureTriangles 326
DisclosureButtons 328
ListViews 330
ColumnViews 331
SplitViews 333
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CONTENTS
TabViews 335
GroupingControls 338
Separators 339
GroupBoxes 341
Chapter16 LayoutGuidelines 343
PositioningRegular-SizeControlsinaWindowBody 343
ASimplePreferencesWindow 343
ATabbedWindow 346
AStandardAlert 349
ADialogwithaListView 350
PositioningSmallandMiniControlsinaWindowBody 352
LayoutExampleforSmallControls 352
LayoutExampleforMiniControls 355
GroupingControlsinaWindowBody 357
GroupingwithWhiteSpace 357
GroupingwithSeparators 358
GroupingwithGroupBoxes 359
PositioningTextandControlsinaBottomBar 361
AppendixA KeyboardShortcutsQuickReference 363
Glossary 371
DocumentRevisionHistory 379
Index 383
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