の様(よう)にLike (Noun), Similar to (Noun)

The auxiliary verb ようだ is used for making observations. It states that something is 'in the manner/way of (A)'. Like the auxiliary verb そうだ, ようだ may be used in a similar way to な-Adjectives (can be followed by な when acting as an adjective, or に when acting as an adverb). の is required before these constructions when it is describing a noun.

Because よう (coming from the kanji 様(よう)) usually expresses the 'manner' in which something is existing/happening, it is regularly used when the speaker has direct personal experience from which they are drawing a comparison. This means that よう will sound far more confident than みたい, or そう.

Fun Fact

When ようだ is describing another word (in its ような, or ように form), this is known as 'presenting an example' (例示(れいじ) in Japanese), and means that '(A) is an example of (B)'.