Generate Apple HIG Navigation Components

Apple HIG: Navigation Components covers Apple Human Interface Guidelines for search, page, and path controls. Eight key principles: search fields should be discoverable with instant feedback, placed where users expect them (top of list, toolbar/navigation bar), showing results as the user types; page controls suit flat, equally-weighted page sequences like onboarding or photo galleries and should show current page and total count, but are not for hierarchical navigation - use navigation controllers, tab bars, or sidebars instead; macOS path controls display location within a directory structure and let users jump to any ancestor, kept concise by showing only meaningful segments; search scopes narrow large result sets via scope buttons instead of complex queries; search needs a clear empty state with a helpful suggestion rather than a blank screen; and search should support keyboard activation via Command-F and system search shortcuts.

Use this skill when deciding between search fields, page controls, and path controls for navigation, or specifying their interaction behavior across Apple platforms. It first checks .claude/apple-design-context.md for existing project context and only asks for information not already covered there.

Given a navigation-component question, the skill asks four clarifying questions - what type of content is being searched or navigated, which platforms are targeted, how large the dataset is, and whether search is the primary interaction - then outputs a three-part recommendation: which component to use (search field, page control, or path control) and why, its behavior specification (search-as-you-type, swipe for pages, click-to-navigate for paths), and platform differences across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. Deeper reference material lives in three linked files: references/search-fields.md covering scopes, search tokens, instant results, and field placement; references/page-controls.md covering dot indicators and flat page sequences; and references/path-controls.md covering breadcrumb-style display and ancestor navigation.

Related skills cover adjacent HIG areas: hig-components-menus for toolbars and menu bars hosting these controls, hig-components-controls for text fields/pickers/segmented controls used in search interfaces, hig-components-dialogs for popovers and sheets used in expanded search or filtering, hig-patterns for broader navigation patterns and information architecture, and hig-foundations for typography and layout. Built by Raintree Technology.

iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS designers and developers deciding how to implement search, page, or path navigation who want Apple HIG-grounded component selection and behavior specs, including accessibility-relevant details like keyboard activation via Command-F, rather than guessing at platform conventions.