hig-components-content
by raintree-technologyhig-components-content helps you choose and describe Apple HIG content-display components with less guesswork. Use this hig-components-content guide for UI Design decisions about charts, collections, image views, image wells, color wells, activity views, lockups, and web views, with install and usage guidance for Apple-aligned component selection.
This skill scores 68/100, which means it is worth listing but with caveats: directory users get real Apple HIG content coverage and reasonably triggerable use cases, yet the workflow is more reference-oriented than execution-oriented, so agents may still need some judgment when applying it. The repository is good enough for install decisions, but not a fully polished operational playbook.
- Broad, explicit trigger coverage for content-display tasks like charts, collections, image/web views, color wells, and activity views.
- Structured guidance with headings plus supporting reference files gives agents multiple entry points beyond a generic prompt.
- Repository evidence shows canonical Apple HIG sourcing and cross-references, which improves trustworthiness for design-advice tasks.
- No install command or scripted workflow, so the skill is mostly guidance content rather than an automated action path.
- The body includes placeholder markers and some thin sections, which limits progressive disclosure and can leave edge-case execution to the agent.
Overview of hig-components-content skill
The hig-components-content skill helps you choose and describe Apple HIG content-display components with less guesswork. It is best for UI designers, app engineers, and AI agents that need to answer practical questions like whether to use a chart, collection, image view, image well, color well, web view, activity view, or lockup in an Apple app. The real job is not “summarize the HIG,” but turn a rough content goal into a component choice that fits Apple platforms, accessibility expectations, and the interaction model.
What this skill is good for
Use the hig-components-content skill when the task is about presenting content, not laying out structure. It is especially useful for selecting between similar options, such as image view vs image well, or collection vs table, and for checking whether a system-provided component already solves the problem better than custom UI.
What makes it different
This skill is anchored in Apple Human Interface Guidelines for content components and cross-links to adjacent guidance where needed. That matters because component choice often depends on foundations like accessibility and typography, and on related skills for patterns, layout containers, or platform-specific behavior.
Best-fit users and jobs
The hig-components-content guide is most valuable when you need a decision you can defend: what component to use, what constraints apply, and what to verify before implementation. If you are building an interface for media, charts, sharing, embedded web content, or selectable collections, this skill gives you a faster path to the right Apple-aligned direction.
How to Use hig-components-content skill
Install and load it in context
Install the hig-components-content skill with npx skills add raintree-technology/apple-hig-skills --skill hig-components-content. Then read skills/hig-components-content/SKILL.md first, followed by the linked reference files that match your component question. The repo does not rely on scripts, so the references are the main source of depth.
Start with the right prompt shape
For best hig-components-content usage, ask for a component decision plus constraints, not just a label. A strong prompt names the content type, platform, user action, and whether editing, selection, sharing, or embedded browsing is involved.
Example prompt:
“Using the hig-components-content skill, recommend the best Apple HIG component for a read-only dashboard card showing weekly sales trends on iPad and macOS. Include why a chart fits, what accessibility needs to be added, and when a collection would be the wrong choice.”
Read the most relevant reference files first
Use the references as a decision shortcut:
references/charts.mdfor data visualization and axis/mark choicesreferences/collections.mdfor grids, item selection, and dynamic contentreferences/image-views.mdandreferences/image-wells.mdfor display vs editable imageryreferences/color-wells.mdfor color picking and system color picker fitreferences/activity-views.mdfor share and action workflowsreferences/lockups.mdfor cards, posters, monograms, and grouped presentationreferences/web-views.mdfor embedded web content
Give the skill the missing inputs
The skill works better when you specify:
- platform: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, or cross-platform
- content type: text-heavy, visual, selectable, editable, or external web content
- interaction: view, choose, edit, share, reorder, or inspect
- constraints: accessibility, multitasking, offline use, or system consistency
That input helps the hig-components-content skill avoid generic advice and choose the component that matches the actual job-to-be-done.
hig-components-content skill FAQ
Is hig-components-content only for Apple UI Design?
Yes, it is primarily for Apple HIG-aligned UI Design decisions. The hig-components-content for UI Design focus means it is most useful when you want the component choice to match Apple’s platform expectations rather than a neutral design-system answer.
When should I not use this skill?
Do not use hig-components-content when the problem is mostly navigation, page structure, or general layout. If you are choosing containers, spacing, or broader screen architecture, a layout or patterns skill is usually the better fit.
Is a prompt enough without the skill?
Sometimes, but the hig-components-content skill is better when you need consistency and fewer missed constraints. A generic prompt may name the right component but omit important Apple-specific considerations like accessibility, standard interactions, or when the system component is the better default.
Is it beginner-friendly?
Yes, if you ask concrete questions. The skill is easiest to use when you can describe the content and the user action in one sentence. If your question is vague, the output will be less decisive, so the hig-components-content guide works best with a specific UI scenario.
How to Improve hig-components-content skill
Give a decision, not a theme
The strongest hig-components-content install outcomes come from prompts that ask for a component choice and the reason behind it. “Show me how to display media” is weaker than “Should this be an image view, image well, or lockup for a selectable product card on macOS?”
Include the tradeoffs you care about
If your project has constraints, state them up front: editable vs read-only, native vs embedded content, dense vs sparse data, or interaction-heavy vs passive viewing. That lets the hig-components-content skill focus on the right boundary cases instead of restating obvious best practices.
Iterate from the first recommendation
If the first answer is close but not right, refine it by asking for a narrower comparison or a platform split. For example, ask for “iPadOS only,” “macOS only,” or “compare collection view vs table for text-dominant rows.” This usually improves the usefulness of the next response more than asking for more general detail.
Watch for common failure modes
The most common mistakes are choosing a custom component when a system one exists, overusing a collection for text, or treating image display and image editing as the same problem. The hig-components-content skill is strongest when you use it to confirm fit, then follow up with accessibility and platform checks before implementation.