Design2/10/2026·6 min

iOS Widget Design Guide

Creating widgets that are both beautiful and functional in limited screen space is no easy task. This guide shares the design principles and best practices we've learned while developing Craft Widgets.

Design Principles

1. At a Glance

The core value of widgets is "getting information without opening the app." Therefore, information hierarchy must be crystal clear.

2. Size Adaptation

iOS provides three standard widget sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. Each size has different information capacity and use cases.

3. Color Usage

Use high contrast to ensure readability on various wallpapers, and support automatic switching between dark/light modes.

Common Mistakes

  • Information overload: trying to cram too much content into a small space
  • Ignoring accessibility: fonts too small, insufficient contrast
  • Ignoring dark mode: only testing on light backgrounds
  • Static thinking: not leveraging Timeline to display dynamic content

Conclusion

Good widget design is the art of subtraction. In limited space, every pixel should have a reason to exist.