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Adwaita

Adwaita (also known as Libadwaita or Adw) is a set of widgets and classes that extend the GTK toolkit, the default UI framework for GNOME applications.

It is designed to implement GNOME’s design patterns, as outlined in the GNOME Human Interface Guidelines (HIG). These guidelines ensure consistency, intuitiveness, and accessibility across GNOME applications. For a deeper dive into designing modern GTK applications, check out our UI Design Guide.

What Adwaita Offers

  • HIG-Compliant Widgets – Pre-styled components like buttons, switches, dialogs, and more, ensuring a modern and consistent GNOME look.
  • High-Resolution Display Support – Scalable icons and UI elements for crisp visuals on all screen sizes.
  • Built-in Theming – Customizable CSS stylesheets that allow UI personalization while maintaining GNOME’s design principles.
  • Dark Mode Support – Easily toggle between light and dark themes, either system-wide or per application.

Why Use Adwaita?

Adwaita is essential for creating visually cohesive, modern, and user-friendly GTK applications. It helps developers ensure their apps seamlessly integrate with the GNOME desktop environment, following best practices for UI/UX design.

To learn more about designing beautiful and modern GTK applications, visit our UI Design Guide.