Where the new macOS design really comes into
its own is through a new Menu Bar and Control
Center, which now blends with the desktop and
can be hidden when not in use. The transition
to pull-down menus means common tasks like
changing the brightness or connecting a new
Bluetooth device can be done without heading
to System Preferences, with individual toggles
for Dark Mode, True Tone, Night Shift, Do Not
Disturb and AirPlay.
Notification Center has also been given a
makeover, combining notifications and widgets
into a single pane that resembles iOS. Like on
the iPhone, Apple now groups notifications by
app, and new interactive features have been
added so consumers can play a podcast or
respond to a message without having to open
the app. Widgets have been given a new look,
too, and are customizable in three sizes to
correspond to the new iOS home screen. Third-
party widgets can also be added from the Mac
App Store, making the experience more akin
to iOS, and offering new functionality and use
cases for professionals at work.
Apple’s design language extends to every
application, with Sheets, which are the small
pop-up windows which appear when you
save or print a document, receiving a new
look. This new design removes the borders,
bezels, and “pane-like” design, so they’re now
less obtrusive and dim into the background
of applications. Sounds, too, have been
redesigned and are now “more pleasing to
the ear”, with each new sound created using
snippets of the original sounds to offer a
familiar yet improved listening experience. That
includes the classic startup chime that Apple