UWP Design Guidelines Overview

Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform (UWP) provides a set of design principles that help you build apps that feel native across all Windows devices. This guide covers typography, layout, color, controls, accessibility, and performance best practices.

Typography

Use Segoe UI as the primary typeface. Follow the scale below for consistent visual hierarchy.

.title { font-size: 2rem; font-weight: 600; }
.subtitle { font-size: 1.5rem; font-weight: 400; }
.body { font-size: 1rem; font-weight: 400; }

Layout & Grid

UWP apps should use a responsive grid. The recommended baseline grid is 8 px. Align elements to multiples of this spacing.

.grid {
    display: grid;
    gap: 8px;
    grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(280px, 1fr));
}

Color & Themes

Leverage the built‑in SystemAccentColor and support Light/Dark themes.

:root {
    --accent: var(--SystemAccentColor, #0078D7);
    --background-light: #FFFFFF;
    --background-dark: #202020;
    --text-light: #212121;
    --text-dark: #E0E0E0;
}

Controls & Patterns

Adopt Fluent UI components. Ensure touch targets are at least 48 × 48 dp.

Accessibility

Provide AutomationProperties.Name for all UI elements. Use high‑contrast colors and ensure keyboard navigation.

<Button Content="Submit"
        AutomationProperties.Name="Submit form button"
/>

Performance

Keep UI thread work under 16 ms per frame. Use await Task.Yield() for long‑running operations and defer loading of heavy resources.

async void LoadData()
{
    await Task.Yield();
    // load data here
}