When coaching Mac users, it’s vital that we speak the same language. That way you understand my guidance on your devices and can respond in kind. This is especially important when we work remotely and my finger can’t point at the screen.

Human Interface Guidelines

I’ve mentioned Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) before. They are the foundation of the design language on all of Apple’s software platforms.

The guidelines enable developers to design applications consistently with Apple and each other so users can switch from one to the next and not be lost or confused.

Knock yourself out if you want to peruse the HIG yourself or would benefit from the visuals. I recommend a short conversation with me in the context of the software you need to use so we can build your understanding and practice.

Menu Bar, Toolbar & Dock (oh my!)

I regularly meet with clients who stumble to find and differentiate between the menu bar, the window toolbar, and the Dock. If you’re one of those people, you’re not alone. Here’s the truth:

  • The menu bar is always at the top of the screen. Yes, all the way at the very top where the cursor can’t go any further up. It begins on the left with the  (Apple) menu and ends with Notification Center on the right (three lines each preceded by a dot). [Update: In more recent versions of macOS, the right end of the menu bar is the date and time.]
  • The Dock is the row (or column) of mostly application icons. By default it’s at the bottom of the screen, but you might have moved it to the left or right. It begins with the Finder and ends with the Trash. Your Dock might be always visible or hidden when not in use.
  • The toolbar is the top section of most windows. Normally, the toolbar contains a series of buttons that add or act on content in a given window. If an application supports search, the search field normally lives on the right side of the toolbar. However, in many applications, you can freely rearrange toolbar buttons as you wish.

Getting Direction

It can take us some time to align and learn how we each approach and talk about these interfaces. Here are some things I might say, their context, and what actions they entail:

1. “Go to Safari Preferences > Passwords” — You can browse or search the website usernames and passwords you’ve saved while using Safari.

→ In Safari, go to the Safari menu (next to the Apple menu). Choose Preferences. [In most applications, the keyboard shortcut for Preferences is Command+comma.] Go to the Passwords section. Enter your computer password or use Touch ID to unlock. Then, scroll through the list or search for a website or username.
2. “Restart Mail” — If Mail is stuck on a process like downloading or moving messages, it might benefit from a restart.

→ Quit Mail. That is, in Mail, choose Quit from the Mail menu (or press Command+Q). Wait for Mail to quit — when the black dot disappears next to its Dock icon. Then, click Mail on the Dock to open it again.
3. “Switch to List View and sort by kind” — There are four modes in the Finder for viewing items. List View is helpful to see the size of items and also delve into the hierarchy using disclosure triangles.

→ On the Finder window toolbar, there are four view mode buttons in a group. The second, showing four horizontal lines, is for List View. Then, click the Kind column header to change the sort. (If you don’t see disclosure triangles, you might have Groups enabled. Go to the View menu and disable Use Groups.)
4. “Click” vs. “Press” — “Click” refers to the mouse or trackpad. If you have left- and right-click options, click means left and I’ll specify right when desired. On a trackpad, right-click is usually click with two fingers. “Press” refers to keys on the keyboard. So, “Press Delete” is an action on the Delete key, not a toolbar button, for example.

Once you come to understand of many of the keywords I use to describe elements on the screen, you’ll develop a facility to use your Mac with ease. And as always, I’ll be patient with you during your learning process and remind you that you’re not alone.