Agent skill

mobile-ios-design

Master iOS Human Interface Guidelines and SwiftUI patterns for building native iOS apps. Use when designing iOS interfaces, implementing SwiftUI views, or ensuring apps follow Apple's design principles.

View SKILL.md on GitHub Repository
Stars 32,911
Forks 3,584

Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/wshobson/agents/tree/main/plugins/ui-design/skills/mobile-ios-design

SKILL.md

iOS Mobile Design

Master iOS Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) and SwiftUI patterns to build polished, native iOS applications that feel at home on Apple platforms.

When to Use This Skill

  • Designing iOS app interfaces following Apple HIG
  • Building SwiftUI views and layouts
  • Implementing iOS navigation patterns (NavigationStack, TabView, sheets)
  • Creating adaptive layouts for iPhone and iPad
  • Using SF Symbols and system typography
  • Building accessible iOS interfaces
  • Implementing iOS-specific gestures and interactions
  • Designing for Dynamic Type and Dark Mode

Core Concepts

1. Human Interface Guidelines Principles

Clarity: Content is legible, icons are precise, adornments are subtle Deference: UI helps users understand content without competing with it Depth: Visual layers and motion convey hierarchy and enable navigation

Platform Considerations:

  • iOS: Touch-first, compact displays, portrait orientation
  • iPadOS: Larger canvas, multitasking, pointer support
  • visionOS: Spatial computing, eye/hand input

2. SwiftUI Layout System

Stack-Based Layouts:

swift
// Vertical stack with alignment
VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 12) {
    Text("Title")
        .font(.headline)
    Text("Subtitle")
        .font(.subheadline)
        .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
}

// Horizontal stack with flexible spacing
HStack {
    Image(systemName: "star.fill")
    Text("Featured")
    Spacer()
    Text("View All")
        .foregroundStyle(.blue)
}

Grid Layouts:

swift
// Adaptive grid that fills available width
LazyVGrid(columns: [
    GridItem(.adaptive(minimum: 150, maximum: 200))
], spacing: 16) {
    ForEach(items) { item in
        ItemCard(item: item)
    }
}

// Fixed column grid
LazyVGrid(columns: [
    GridItem(.flexible()),
    GridItem(.flexible()),
    GridItem(.flexible())
], spacing: 12) {
    ForEach(items) { item in
        ItemThumbnail(item: item)
    }
}

3. Navigation Patterns

NavigationStack (iOS 16+):

swift
struct ContentView: View {
    @State private var path = NavigationPath()

    var body: some View {
        NavigationStack(path: $path) {
            List(items) { item in
                NavigationLink(value: item) {
                    ItemRow(item: item)
                }
            }
            .navigationTitle("Items")
            .navigationDestination(for: Item.self) { item in
                ItemDetailView(item: item)
            }
        }
    }
}

TabView (iOS 18+):

swift
struct MainTabView: View {
    @State private var selectedTab = 0

    var body: some View {
        TabView(selection: $selectedTab) {
            Tab("Home", systemImage: "house", value: 0) {
                HomeView()
            }

            Tab("Search", systemImage: "magnifyingglass", value: 1) {
                SearchView()
            }

            Tab("Profile", systemImage: "person", value: 2) {
                ProfileView()
            }
        }
    }
}

4. System Integration

SF Symbols:

swift
// Basic symbol
Image(systemName: "heart.fill")
    .foregroundStyle(.red)

// Symbol with rendering mode
Image(systemName: "cloud.sun.fill")
    .symbolRenderingMode(.multicolor)

// Variable symbol (iOS 16+)
Image(systemName: "speaker.wave.3.fill", variableValue: volume)

// Symbol effect (iOS 17+)
Image(systemName: "bell.fill")
    .symbolEffect(.bounce, value: notificationCount)

Dynamic Type:

swift
// Use semantic fonts
Text("Headline")
    .font(.headline)

Text("Body text that scales with user preferences")
    .font(.body)

// Custom font that respects Dynamic Type
Text("Custom")
    .font(.custom("Avenir", size: 17, relativeTo: .body))

5. Visual Design

Colors and Materials:

swift
// Semantic colors that adapt to light/dark mode
Text("Primary")
    .foregroundStyle(.primary)
Text("Secondary")
    .foregroundStyle(.secondary)

// System materials for blur effects
Rectangle()
    .fill(.ultraThinMaterial)
    .frame(height: 100)

// Vibrant materials for overlays
Text("Overlay")
    .padding()
    .background(.regularMaterial, in: RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 12))

Shadows and Depth:

swift
// Standard card shadow
RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 16)
    .fill(.background)
    .shadow(color: .black.opacity(0.1), radius: 8, y: 4)

// Elevated appearance
.shadow(radius: 2, y: 1)
.shadow(radius: 8, y: 4)

Quick Start Component

swift
import SwiftUI

struct FeatureCard: View {
    let title: String
    let description: String
    let systemImage: String

    var body: some View {
        HStack(spacing: 16) {
            Image(systemName: systemImage)
                .font(.title)
                .foregroundStyle(.blue)
                .frame(width: 44, height: 44)
                .background(.blue.opacity(0.1), in: Circle())

            VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 4) {
                Text(title)
                    .font(.headline)
                Text(description)
                    .font(.subheadline)
                    .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
                    .lineLimit(2)
            }

            Spacer()

            Image(systemName: "chevron.right")
                .foregroundStyle(.tertiary)
        }
        .padding()
        .background(.background, in: RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 12))
        .shadow(color: .black.opacity(0.05), radius: 4, y: 2)
    }
}

Best Practices

  1. Use Semantic Colors: Always use .primary, .secondary, .background for automatic light/dark mode support
  2. Embrace SF Symbols: Use system symbols for consistency and automatic accessibility
  3. Support Dynamic Type: Use semantic fonts (.body, .headline) instead of fixed sizes
  4. Add Accessibility: Include .accessibilityLabel() and .accessibilityHint() modifiers
  5. Use Safe Areas: Respect safeAreaInset and avoid hardcoded padding at screen edges
  6. Implement State Restoration: Use @SceneStorage for preserving user state
  7. Support iPad Multitasking: Design for split view and slide over
  8. Test on Device: Simulator doesn't capture full haptic and performance experience

Common Issues

  • Layout Breaking: Use .fixedSize() sparingly; prefer flexible layouts
  • Performance Issues: Use LazyVStack/LazyHStack for long scrolling lists
  • Navigation Bugs: Ensure NavigationLink values are Hashable
  • Dark Mode Problems: Avoid hardcoded colors; use semantic or asset catalog colors
  • Accessibility Failures: Test with VoiceOver enabled
  • Memory Leaks: Watch for strong reference cycles in closures

Recommended Agent Skills

Expand your agent's capabilities with these related and highly-rated skills.

wshobson/agents

protocol-reverse-engineering

Master network protocol reverse engineering including packet analysis, protocol dissection, and custom protocol documentation. Use when analyzing network traffic, understanding proprietary protocols, or debugging network communication.

32,911 3,584
Explore
wshobson/agents

binary-analysis-patterns

Master binary analysis patterns including disassembly, decompilation, control flow analysis, and code pattern recognition. Use when analyzing executables, understanding compiled code, or performing static analysis on binaries.

32,911 3,584
Explore
wshobson/agents

anti-reversing-techniques

Understand anti-reversing, obfuscation, and protection techniques encountered during software analysis. Use this skill when analyzing malware evasion techniques, when implementing anti-debugging protections for CTF challenges, when reverse engineering packed binaries, or when building security research tools that need to detect virtualized environments.

32,911 3,584
Explore
wshobson/agents

memory-forensics

Master memory forensics techniques including memory acquisition, process analysis, and artifact extraction using Volatility and related tools. Use when analyzing memory dumps, investigating incidents, or performing malware analysis from RAM captures.

32,911 3,584
Explore
wshobson/agents

nx-workspace-patterns

Configure and optimize Nx monorepo workspaces. Use when setting up Nx, configuring project boundaries, optimizing build caching, or implementing affected commands.

32,911 3,584
Explore
wshobson/agents

auth-implementation-patterns

Master authentication and authorization patterns including JWT, OAuth2, session management, and RBAC to build secure, scalable access control systems. Use when implementing auth systems, securing APIs, or debugging security issues.

32,911 3,584
Explore

Didn't find tool you were looking for?

Be as detailed as possible for better results