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These guidelines are designed to assist you in developing products that provide Mac OS X users with a consistent visual and behavioral experience across applications and the operating system. Following the guidelines is to your advantage because:

• Users will learn your application faster if the interface looks and behaves like applications they’re already familiar with.

• Users can accomplish their tasks quickly, because well-designed applications don’t get in the user’s way.

• Users with special needs will find your product more accessible.

• Your application will have the same modern, elegant appearance as other Mac OS X applications.

• Your application will be easier to document, because an intuitive interface and standard behaviors don’t require as much explanation.

• Customer support calls will be reduced (for the reasons cited above).

• Your application will be easier to localize, because Apple has worked through many localization issues in the Aqua design process.

• Media reviews of your product will be more positive; reviewers easily target software that doesn’t look or behave the way “true” Macintosh applications do.

The implementation of Apple’s human interface principles make the Macintosh what it is: intuitive, friendly, elegant, and powerful.