Creating an Aesthetic MacBook: Simple Tips and Tricks

Personalizing your gadgets can be so much fun! In fact, the global skins and decals market size was valued at $993.6 million in 2022. In this article, we’ll explore creative ideas for accessorizing your MacBook Air or Pro to make it more aesthetic that represents your unique taste, and complements your look. 

How To Make Your Macbook Aesthetic

Tired of the same old boring look? Here’s what you can do to jazz up your MacBook game:

Create A Custom Color Scheme

Start by choosing a color palette that resonates with your style. Websites like Coolors or Adobe Color can help you create or choose a palette if you’re confused – Apply those to Your MacBook: Use these colors in your MacBook’s settings. Go to System Preferences → General. Here, you can set the appearance to Light, Dark, or Auto. Then, choose an accent color that matches your palette and apply it.

Add Icons And Backgrounds With Personality

Choose a wallpaper that fits your aesthetic. This could be a photo, an artwork, or a pattern. Websites like Unsplash or Pexels offer high-quality images for free. You can replace the default icons of your apps with custom ones. Find icons that match your aesthetic on websites like Flaticon or Icons8. If you want to change an app icon, right-click on the app in Finder, select ‘Get Info’, click the icon in the top left corner, and then paste your new icon (which must be a .icns file).

Revamp The MacOS Login Screen

Most don’t realize you can customize the login screen too with your Apple ID photo and quirky wallpaper visible before accessing your desktop. Try an abstract geometric pattern or artsy illustration to continue your motif. This makes over not just your desktop but your entire MacBook experience.

Add Custom Sounds To Your Mac

First, find or create the sound files you want to use (in .aiff format). You can use audio editing software as well! With that said, to replace default sounds go to the /System/Library/Sounds/ folder. Here, you can replace the default sound files with your custom ones (ensure they have the same name as the original files). Then go to System Preferences → Sound to select your custom sounds for alerts and other notifications.

Customize MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar

It’s very simple – go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Keyboard.

Click on “Customize Control Strip” to modify the Touch Bar. You can then drag preferred buttons to the Touch Bar. However, you can always use apps like “BetterTouchTool” for extensive customization options, including custom buttons and widgets.

Tweak The Control Center And Menu Bar

In macOS Big Sur and later, you can customize the Control Center. Go to System Preferences → Dock & Menu Bar. Here, you can add, remove, or rearrange controls. Consider removing unused default icons and replacing them with widgets or tools you utilize more, like the Battery, Clock, or Music widgets. Drag and drop to rearrange them in the menu bar. Command + drag an item out of the menu bar to remove it, or use System Preferences to add or remove specific items.

Give Individual Apps A Makeover

Many apps offer theme options. Explore the preferences or settings within each app to change themes, colors, or layouts. However, for more extensive customization, consider third-party tools like cDock or LiteIcon, which allow deeper customization of app appearances and dock.

Add Some Widgets To The Notification Center

Customize your widgets by clicking on the ‘Edit Widgets’ button at the bottom of the Notification Center. You can add widgets for at-a-glance info while working, like a world clock, Apple TV remote, or trending news to your Today View in notifications.

Download And Organize Your Screensavers

You can find screensavers in the Mac App Store or on trusted websites like screensaversplanet.com or macscreensavers.com. Screensaver files usually come in .saver or .zip formats. Once you find a screensaver you like, download it, and decide when you want it to start after inactivity. You can set this under the ‘Start after:’ option.

Get A Better-Looking Dock

The dock displays your most frequently used apps and files for easy access. To make it blend seamlessly with your new style, you can adjust its size, color, magnification, and location on screen – but remember, a big dock size looks somewhat unorganized so don’t get carried away when editing! 

Use Stickies 

What’s fun about Stickies is that it can create multiple notes and arrange them on your desktop as needed – it can also store images and other media. You can make a note float above all other windows by selecting “Window” in the menu bar and then “Float” on top. Remember, Stickies are a great way to keep small pieces of information visible on your desktop, but they are not saved in a cloud or synchronized across devices.

Use Third-Party Customization Apps

You can always install third-party apps to customize your Mac even further! Here are a few apps that you can consider:

• Bartender: Organizes menu bar icons by hiding, rearranging, or stashing extras in a dropdown. It cleans up clutter – in simple words.
• Keyboard Maestro: Creates custom keyboard shortcuts and macros to automate workflows to streamline tedious tasks.
• iStat Menus: Adds customizable menu bar monitors showing system performance stats like CPU usage.
• BetterTouchTool: Assigns custom gestures and behaviors for input devices like trackpads for efficiency.
• uBar: Generates a Windows-style Start menu to search apps and files from the dock. Good for switchers.
• TinkerTool: Exposes over 200 hidden macOS settings and options for advanced customization.