Platform Design Guidelines Reference
Mobile Design Fundamentals
Screen Sizes
| Device |
Size |
Design At |
| iPhone SE |
375×667 |
Small mobile |
| iPhone 14/15 |
390×844 |
Standard mobile |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max |
430×932 |
Large mobile |
| Android small |
360×640 |
Minimum target |
| Android large |
412×915 |
Large Android |
Safe Areas
Touch Targets
- Minimum: 44×44pt (iOS) / 48×48dp (Android)
- Recommended: 48×48px for all platforms
- Spacing: Minimum 8px between targets
iOS Human Interface Guidelines (HIG)
Design Philosophy
- Clarity: Text is legible, icons precise, adornments subtle
- Deference: UI helps people understand content, never competes
- Depth: Distinct visual layers convey hierarchy
Navigation Patterns
| Pattern |
When to Use |
| Tab Bar |
3-5 top-level destinations |
| Navigation Bar |
Hierarchical content |
| Sidebar |
iPad, rich content apps |
| Search |
Content discovery |
Tab Bar Specifications
- Max 5 tabs
- Icons 25×25pt with 10pt labels
- Active tab uses fill/tint color
- Inactive tabs use gray
Navigation Bar
- Left: Back button or cancel
- Center: Title
- Right: Primary action (text or icon)
Typography (SF Pro)
| Style |
Size |
Weight |
| Large Title |
34pt |
Bold |
| Title 1 |
28pt |
Bold |
| Title 2 |
22pt |
Bold |
| Title 3 |
20pt |
Semibold |
| Headline |
17pt |
Semibold |
| Body |
17pt |
Regular |
| Callout |
16pt |
Regular |
| Subhead |
15pt |
Regular |
| Footnote |
13pt |
Regular |
| Caption |
12pt |
Regular |
iOS Colors (System)
| Color |
Light |
Dark |
| Label |
#000000 |
#FFFFFF |
| Secondary Label |
#3C3C43 @ 60% |
#EBEBF5 @ 60% |
| Tertiary Label |
#3C3C43 @ 30% |
#EBEBF5 @ 30% |
| System Blue |
#007AFF |
#0A84FF |
| System Green |
#34C759 |
#30D158 |
| System Red |
#FF3B30 |
#FF453A |
| System Orange |
#FF9500 |
#FF9F0A |
iOS-Specific Patterns
- Swipe gestures: Delete, archive, actions
- Pull to refresh: Standard list refresh
- Long press: Context menus
- Haptic feedback: Confirm actions
- Edge swipe: Back navigation
Android Material Design
Android Design Philosophy
- Material as metaphor: Physical properties, elevation
- Bold, graphic, intentional: Deliberate color, typography, space
- Motion provides meaning: Feedback and continuity
Android Navigation Patterns
| Pattern |
When to Use |
| Bottom Navigation |
3-5 top destinations |
| Navigation Drawer |
5+ destinations, less frequent |
| Navigation Rail |
Tablet landscape |
| Tabs |
Related content groups |
Bottom Navigation
- 3-5 destinations
- Icons 24dp with 12sp labels
- Active: filled icon + primary color
- Inactive: outlined icon + on-surface
App Bar
- Left: Navigation icon (menu or back)
- Center: Title (can be left-aligned)
- Right: Action icons (max 3)
Floating Action Button (FAB)
- Size: 56dp standard, 40dp mini
- Position: Bottom right, 16dp from edges
- Purpose: Primary action only
- Behavior: Can hide on scroll
Typography (Roboto)
| Style |
Size |
Weight |
Tracking |
| Display Large |
57sp |
Regular |
-0.25 |
| Display Medium |
45sp |
Regular |
0 |
| Display Small |
36sp |
Regular |
0 |
| Headline Large |
32sp |
Regular |
0 |
| Headline Medium |
28sp |
Regular |
0 |
| Headline Small |
24sp |
Regular |
0 |
| Title Large |
22sp |
Regular |
0 |
| Title Medium |
16sp |
Medium |
0.15 |
| Title Small |
14sp |
Medium |
0.1 |
| Body Large |
16sp |
Regular |
0.5 |
| Body Medium |
14sp |
Regular |
0.25 |
| Body Small |
12sp |
Regular |
0.4 |
| Label Large |
14sp |
Medium |
0.1 |
| Label Medium |
12sp |
Medium |
0.5 |
| Label Small |
11sp |
Medium |
0.5 |
Material Colors
| Role |
Purpose |
| Primary |
Main brand color |
| On Primary |
Text/icons on primary |
| Primary Container |
Filled buttons, active states |
| Secondary |
Less prominent components |
| Tertiary |
Contrast, balance |
| Error |
Error states |
| Surface |
Card backgrounds |
| On Surface |
Text on surfaces |
| Outline |
Borders, dividers |
Elevation (Shadows)
| Level |
Elevation |
Use Case |
| 0 |
0dp |
Flat surfaces |
| 1 |
1dp |
Cards, raised buttons |
| 2 |
3dp |
Elevated cards |
| 3 |
6dp |
FAB resting |
| 4 |
8dp |
Dialogs, pickers |
| 5 |
12dp |
FAB pressed |
Android-Specific Patterns
- Snackbar: Brief feedback at bottom
- Bottom sheet: Additional content/actions
- Chips: Filter, input, choice, action
- Speed dial FAB: Multiple related actions
Responsive Web Design
Breakpoints
| Name |
Width |
Typical Device |
| xs |
<576px |
Mobile portrait |
| sm |
576-767px |
Mobile landscape |
| md |
768-991px |
Tablet |
| lg |
992-1199px |
Small desktop |
| xl |
1200-1399px |
Desktop |
| xxl |
≥1400px |
Large desktop |
Grid System
- Columns: 12-column grid standard
- Gutters: 16-24px between columns
- Margins: 16px (mobile) to 64px (desktop)
- Max content width: 1200-1440px
Responsive Typography
Mobile-First Approach
- Design for smallest screen first
- Add complexity for larger screens
- Content priority: What's essential?
- Performance: Minimize for mobile
- Touch-first interactions
Responsive Patterns
| Pattern |
Description |
| Stack |
Columns become rows on mobile |
| Reflow |
Content reorders based on priority |
| Reveal |
More content shown at larger sizes |
| Off-canvas |
Navigation slides in on mobile |
| Scale |
Elements scale proportionally |
Desktop Applications
Window Chrome
Keyboard-First Design
- All actions accessible via keyboard
- Visible keyboard shortcuts
- Focus management for tab order
- Search/command palette (Cmd/Ctrl+K)
Hover States
Desktop has hover (mobile doesn't):
- Show additional info on hover
- Preview actions before click
- Tooltips for icon-only buttons
- Dropdown menus on hover
Dense Information
Desktop allows for:
- Smaller touch targets (32px min)
- More visible information
- Complex tables and data grids
- Multi-column layouts
- Side-by-side comparisons
Cross-Platform Considerations
Shared Principles
- Consistent brand identity
- Same core user flows
- Synchronized data/state
- Familiar information architecture
Platform-Specific Adaptations
| Aspect |
iOS |
Android |
Web |
| Back |
Left nav |
Left or gesture |
Browser back |
| Primary action |
Right nav |
FAB |
Top right button |
| Lists |
Swipe actions |
Long press |
Hover actions |
| Menus |
Action sheets |
Bottom sheet |
Dropdown/context |
| Alerts |
Centered modal |
Centered modal |
Various positions |
Design Tokens Across Platforms
Create platform-agnostic tokens: