Apple HIG guidance for system experience components: widgets, live activities, notifications, complications, home screen quick actions, top shelf, watch faces, app clips, and app shortcuts. Use when asked about: "widget design", "live activity", "notification design", "complication", "home screen quick action", "top shelf", "watch face", "app clip", "app shortcut", "system experience". Also use when the user says "how do I design a widget," "what should my notification look like," "how do Live Activities work," "should I make an App Clip," or asks about surfaces outside the main app. Cross-references: hig-components-status for progress in widgets, hig-inputs for interaction patterns, hig-technologies for Siri and system integration.
Check for .claude/apple-design-context.md before asking questions. Use existing context and only ask for information not already covered.
Glanceable, immediate value. System experiences bring your app's most important content to surfaces the user sees without launching your app. Design for seconds of attention.
Respect platform context. A Lock Screen widget has different constraints than a Home Screen widget. A complication is far smaller than a top shelf item.
Show relevant information, not everything. Display the most useful subset, updated appropriately.
Support multiple sizes with distinct layouts. Each size should be a thoughtful design, not a scaled version of another.
Deep-link on tap. Take users to the relevant content, not the app's root screen.
Track events with a clear start and end. Deliveries, scores, timers, rides. Design for both Dynamic Island and Lock Screen.
Stay updated and timely. Stale data undermines trust. End promptly when the event concludes.
Respect user attention. Only send notifications for information users genuinely care about. No promotional or low-value notifications.
Actionable and self-contained. Include enough context to understand and act without opening the app. Support notification actions. Use threading and grouping.
| Reference | Topic | Key content |
|---|---|---|
| widgets.md | Widgets | Glanceable info, sizes, deep linking, timeline |
| live-activities.md | Live Activities | Real-time tracking, Dynamic Island, Lock Screen |
| notifications.md | Notifications | Attention, actions, grouping, content |
| complications.md | Complications | Watch face data, families, budgeted updates |
| home-screen-quick-actions.md | Quick actions | Haptic Touch, common tasks, SF Symbols |
| top-shelf.md | Top shelf | Featured content, showcase |
| app-clips.md | App Clips | Instant use, lightweight, focused task, NFC/QR |
| watch-faces.md | Watch faces | Custom complications, face sharing |
| app-shortcuts.md | App Shortcuts | Siri, Spotlight, voice triggers |
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